Heartland Growers...
family owned and operated in the heart of the Midwest.
Heartland Growers was started by Neil VanWingerden in the summer of 1976 on the south side of Indianapolis in a 1 acre facility. In 1979, Neil moved that business to a new 2 acre facility located at the current Westfield location. The business continued to expand and in November of 1984, the then 10-acre wholesale only business was purchased by James Gapinski and Richard VanWingerden. Heartland Growers prides itself in having 2 generations of the Gapinski family involved in the daily activities. We're not only a business, we're also a family.
Heartland Growers is one of the most modern & capital-intensive greenhouse facilities in Indiana. We pride ourselves on technological innovation but also keeping a focus on the daily results. Our structures include:
- 24 total acres of covered and connected growing space.
- 20 acres of double polyethylene "VanWingerden" gutter connected greenhouses
- 4 acres of glass covered greenhouse space to capitalize on daylight in the short season.
- 4 acres of a Dutch moveable table system that allows for effective & efficient propagation.
- 4 acres of ebb & flood floors help eliminate the need for over-head watering in specific zones.
- Automatic transplanters and sowing equipment are utilized in our production areas.
- The entire range has Echo hanging basket systems and many have automatic watering booms.
- The growing area is divided into 28 zones that are heated by 6 boilers with a total capacity of 1450 horsepower.
- Heat throughout the facility is handle through heated concrete floors or under bench heating systems.
- All climate controls are handled by the fully integrated Priva system.
- Water reclamation occurs from both the gutter systems and the use of 2 retention ponds.
Heartland Growers prides itself on servicing not only large scale retailers, but also several of our local florist, independent garden centers and landscapers. Our crop is predominantly a spring annual crop with over 60% of our business occuring in the months of April, May and June. We also specialize in holiday offerings such as Easter Lilies, Spring Bulbs, Garden Mums and Poinsettias and indoor foliage for our year round customers.
Our greatest asset is our employees that work together in a team effort. Our year round workforce is 50-60 people with our seasonal count peaking at around 140-150. It is through this seasoned workforce that we can meet the demands of the marketplace and the quality our customers have come to expect.