Sherman Nursery adapts to customer demands

Sherman Nursery in Charles City, Iowa, has more than a century of experience in producing bare-root nursery stock. It’s a tried-and-true product, and the nursery has spent years perfecting its growing, storage and shipping processes.

But Sherman Nursery is up to a new challenge. Over the past few years the company has stepped up production of container plants to meet shifting customer demands.

“Bare root is still a vital part of Sherman Nursery,” said sales manager Gary Eggenberger. “I’d say the business is about 35 percent containers and 65 percent bare root now.”

The nursery’s container selections include popular tree, shrub, rose, vine and perennial varieties. Grafted specialty plants and specimen evergreens round out the line.

Last summer, Sherman Nursery completed construction on a new shipping facility, helping it keep up with increased demand for containers. The loading dock accommodates eight truckloads of plants. Products are palletized and shipped on soft-side trailers equipped with a forklift on the back for easy unloading.

“From January 1 to June 1 we ship about 275 semi-loads,” Eggenberger said. “And that’s not counting customers that pick up. From June 1 to mid-November we ship out about 111 loads.”

In addition to containers and bare-root material, Sherman Nursery offers 3 1/2-inch potted liners. This product line was introduced about 15 years ago. Today, the company ships out more than 250,000 liners each year. The liners are produced from softwood cuttings, which ensure healthy, robust plants. It also means quick turnaround time for growers.

“Many varieties will fill out a No. 1 container within six to eight weeks and a No. 2 container within 10 weeks,” said Rosie Bormann, propagation manager.

New product lines and shifting markets haven’t caused too many growing pains, according to David Fuchs, a 25-year Sherman Nursery veteran who took over as president last year.

“We are fortunate to have a great team of dedicated, experienced individuals in our organization,” he said. “Our people work hard to ensure the success of our programs and satisfaction of our customers.”

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For more: Sherman Nursery, (800) 747-5980; www.shermannursery.com.