Tucked away behind a tree-lined street in residential North Nashville, half a million square feet of greenhouses are overflowing with bright blues, pinks and purples — a paradise for flower lovers.
The labyrinth of blooms is the home of a century-old family business that's a major supplier of African violets to the country's retailers, including The Home Depot and Kroger chains.
Despite a struggling economy, which has hurt floral sales, Holtkamp Greenhouses is growing. The company is adding 70,000 square feet of greenhouse space, having seen sales climb 22 percent last year and 17 percent the year before that.
A combination of a weak U.S. dollar and a relatively inexpensive plant — the company's African violet sells for as little as $2.69 for a 4-inch plant — has helped Holtkamp grow market share even as the flower industry has been slumping, according to Reinhold Holtkamp Jr., who runs the business with his wife, sister and brother-in-law.
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