Green Circle Growers now certified for it's sustainable practices

Green Circle Growers is a family-owned company in Oberlin, Ohio, established in 1968 with a total of 105 acres of indoor growing space and 35 acres of outdoor growing space. With 25 acres of dedicated orchid production, Green Circle Growers is the largest orchid producer in the United States utilizing a full line of automation based on European production methods. Recently the grower announced that it has achieved the MPS ABC certification.

“As a company, Green Circle Growers always has been environmentally conscious and already had several sustainability & environmental impact initiatives, like fuel efficiency/emissions reduction, recycling & waste reduction and sustainable growing practices in place" said GCG's Wesley van Wingerden. He says the benefits that come with participating in MPS certification are far reaching though; understanding costs, chemical usage/waste, and inventory control are among the most important lessons that have been learned in the brief time we have been working with the MPS ABC certification.

"Through our travels, we have learned that the Dutch Grower Auction in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands requires all of its vendors to be MPS Certified," van Wingerden said. " My father has been in the industry for 45 years and it has been his experience that European growers historically are 10-15 years ahead of their American counterparts. Even though we haven’t received any specific demands from our customers regarding MPS Certification, it is our belief that we should not wait until a customer asks for or requires some sort of solution to sustainability. At that point it will be too late! "

"With MPS Certification we will feel much more able to meet the strict standards that are used by supermarkets, understanding that it is the best thing for the end consumer. For us MPS Certification will become the mark of a healthy, forward thinking greenhouse operation in the USA and we want to be a part of that”