Perennial Favorites Nursery and Agra Tech are two family - owned and run caller with recollective histories and impressive track criminal record for excellency and quality . So , it ’s surely no surprisal that they have been working well together for more than two decades as ATI provides greenhouse and client support for Perennial Favorites .
by Ed Attanasaio
Since 1992 , Perennial Favorites in Layton , UT , has established itself as a leading local wholesale agriculturist of high elevation , acclimated perennial , native perennial , annuals , grasses , and edibles . Their wide excerption of top - quality baby’s room stock is grow to fly high in the intermountain area , including high lift community . At Perennial Favorites , their military mission is to grow plants that are well - accommodate to survive regardless of where they ’re engraft within the intermountain community .
CEO / Owner Preston Cox at Perennial Favorites values his long - terminal figure occupation relationship with ATI in Pittsburg , CA , a 46 - year - old commercial greenhouse maker . Today , Perennial Favorites apply nigh 20 ATI greenhouses , totaling more than 83,000 sq . ft . to grow perennials twelvemonth - round . The ship’s company employ 30 full - time people and 20 seasonal workers and grows its industrial plant one-half in greenhouses with the other half raised in pots alfresco .
Cox insert the nursery manufacture as a adolescent when he turn for his uncle ’s caller Mountain States Plants , a 35 - twelvemonth sure-enough grower in Layton , UT . Today , Preston ’s two sons work for Perennial Favorites , with Cort ( 38 ) and Ken , ( 32 ) that handle IT duty , grow plants , and marketing , severally .
Preston with sons Cort and Ken
Back in 1994 , Cox , historic period 63 , purchased three ATI Cold Frame greenhouses ( 20 foot . x 105 ft . ) and constructed them himself with a pocket-sized squad . “ I took a hiatus from the nursery business for seven years and became a building declarer , ” he said . “ So , we ’ve constructed every one of our ATI greenhouse without any international help . If you do n’t find bad conditions , assembling these greenhouses is n’t problematic . But , for citizenry who do n’t have any construction experience , it ’s not really a do - it - yourself undertaking . ”
Growing at an elevation over 4,000 feet in Layton , Utah , kick in plants grow at Perennial Favorites an advantage when being sold and planted in the intermountain area . It reduces climate blow to the plants set aside them to perform faster and well compared to plant life farm at lower elevations .
At 4,000 ft in Utah , weather is often a challenge and the nursery have to be inflexible
After encountering success with his first ATI glasshouse , Cox has periodically acquired more and more structures to accommodate gradual growth . “ We now have four ATI nonconductor greenhouses that are all sewer - connect to fit our program . In accession , we also have several ATI North Slope greenhouses that are 24 ft . all-embracing and 105 ft . long . We practice them to get our plants started in four - inch and one - gallon container . ”
The business role model at Perennial Favorites intend that they wo n’t ever rise plants simply because they are trendy or popular . No , they opt to grow the varieties they have a go at it and what they consider is going to be beneficial to the surroundings . This gives them a unique survival of the fittest of industrial plant and product to choose from and offers a wide range of choice for its distributors .
As a strictly wholesale operation , Perennial Favorites sells to a encompassing variety of customers , including garden centers and nurseries . It ’s a strategical approaching because it activate the company to focus on growing human race - course of study product rather of worrying about sales event and marketing , Cox sound out .
Inside the greenhouse the plants boom
Over the years , Perennial Favorites has expanded its tilt of products to include complete bank line of agio yearbook , perennial and one-year grasses , and a unique choice of victual speciate in herbs , peppers , and tomatoes .
Cox has been working closely with ATI’sJames Robertsfor more than two decades and has nothing but positive thing to say about him and his society ’s customer service . “ We have never meet James , but we finger like we know him well because he has always been our single point of contact . ATI ’s structures are made exceptionally well , but there are going to be various issue on occasion , and Roberts comes through every meter . ”
consort to the company’swebsite , one area of maturation they are particularly lofty of at Perennial Favorites is its aboriginal and Waterwise furrow . They have been pioneer in this field , introduce many unique and punishing to find item . Working directly with specialists and university has help make a truly one of a kind option of Native Perennials to grow in the Intermountain surface area . With water always in short supply , this surface area has a batch of potential for future sustainability .
The Agra Tech greenhouses have held up extremely well over the decades
Cox has perennials in his ancestry and loves what he does . He function as President in the Utah Nursery and Landscape Association and on the Political Action and Public Policies Committee . He also serve his community by acting as a past Layton City Planning Commissioner Chairman for 9 eld and is currently on the Envision Layton Committee .
Cox has no plan for retiring because he has always loved grow plant life and working with his menage , which is why he commence his business . And by acquire nursery from ATI and add newfangled products all the time , Perennial Favorites will keep on to flourish and grow .
For more information : Agra Tech2131 Piedmont WayPittsburg , CA 94565 T : ( 925 ) 432 - 3399F : ( 925 ) 432 - 3521[email protected]agratech.com
