The Schubert Story

With a Volkswagen van, a tiny space in Half Moon Bay and a desire for quality and innovation, Fred Schubert started a small nursery that grew .... and grew.... to become a well respected wholesale grower occupying nearly one million square feet of greenhouse space and operating out of three distribution centers across the United States.
 
It all began in the early 1960s when Fred Schubert opened his doors in Half Moon Bay, California. At that time, all sales were made at the San Francisco Flower Market with plants hauled to and from in a Volkswagen van. During Mr. Schubert's ownership, the nursery grew to occupy nearly 30-40,000 square feet of greenhouse.
 

Then in the early 1970s, Karl and Arlene Faigle, the first generation of this growing family business, leased greenhouse space from Fred Schubert to grow Bibb lettuce. Mr. Schubert and Mr. Faigle, both from Germany, became good friends, then mentor and protege in the plant growing business. In 1977, the Faigles purchased the company; Karl as grower and seller, and his wife Arlene as bookkeeper.
 
The Faigles continued to focus on innovation. They imposed very strict standards for plant quality and clean growing conditions to protect against pests and diseases. By 1989, Schubert Nursery had doubled its greenhouse space, and now grew primarily ivy and ivy topiary.

 
By now the small space in Half Moon Bay was limiting the product line. It was time to move. In 1990, the entire operation was moved down to the agriculturally rich Salinas Valley. Mike took the role of Production Manager and Horticulturalist. Soon after, Schubert Nursery started to grow topiary and ferns exclusively, eventually adding herb topiaries to the product mix. The once small nursery continued to expand.
 

The next year, Susie formally joined the business handling all sales and shipping out of a small trailer. As the demand for topiaries increased, the business continued growing adding more people in production and an office staff. A far cry from the small desk and dial phone that Karl used in one of their first greenhouses!
 
Mike and Karl's decision to eliminate all crops besides ivy and herbs allowed Schubert Nursery to become specialists in the production of these crops. Schubert's reputation as a source for quality and innovative plant selections was spreading throughout the industry.
 
For many businesses in the East, shipping from California was prohibitive. So, Schubert Nursery added a second distribution center in Greensboro, NC to service all states east of the Mississippi River, decreasing transit time and freight costs for our East Coast customers.

It was in the summer of 2000 that Karl and Arlene Faigle retired and Schubert Nursery was passed on to Mike and Susie. The strict standards of quality and care continued through the now second generation family business and the business continued its gradual growth. SNI opened a third distribution center in St. Louis, MO to service their Midwest customers.
 
Today the "little" nursery from Half Moon Bay occupies nearly one million square feet of greenhouse space in Salinas, California and can service the entire continental U.S. in 1-3 days by ground transit!
 
Schubert Nursery continues to offer an even wider selection of ferns and foliage, among other specialty plants like Boxwood, Euonymus, Bay Laurel and Golden Cypress. Schubert Nursery constantly strives to offer new and unique plants, always with quality as top priority.
 
Now over 40 years later, Schubert Nursery Inc. has become a premier grower of ivy and ivy topiaries and we continue to expand into new markets.

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