Business: The Growing Place
Address: 25W471 Plank Road, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-355-4000, www.thegrowingplace.com
Owners: Becca Massat, 46, of Naperville, and brother Michael Massat, 41, of Yorkville
Years in business: 88
What do you do? “We are a garden center that has everything you can possibly imagine. … We are open through Dec. 23, close for the winter and reopen April 1,” Becca Massat said. “My brother and I have owned the business since 2022. We’re excited to be doing this.”
What do you like about your job? “We can help people and I don’t sit at a desk all day. I have fun making the displays.”
Is this your only site? “We have a second location, 2000 Montgomery Road in Aurora. My brother is there. … My parents started that in 1990. That was originally for growing, then people started showing up. We do the growing and retail over there and ship it over here.”
What sets you apart? “What makes us special is once you walk around, you see an acre of display gardens at both stores as well as plant material for sale.”
How do display gardens work? “Customers can see how plants will do in the ground. When they’re in pots, you don’t know what’s going to happen with them in the ground. You think, ‘That little thing will fit.’ No, it’s that (big) thing over there.”
What’s the background? “It started in 1936 as Emma’s Perennials. Fritz Glatzhofer, one of my dad’s uncles, and his wife Emma (started the business). Emma was the driver. She was known for her delphiniums. … People would come from all over to get her delphiniums. … My dad said, ‘Oh, this looks like fun’ in the ‘70s and took it over. … My parents, Rich and Carol, bought it in 1973. They switched it to The Growing Place (in 1976). … We kind of grew up with Naperville.”
What’s your business philosophy? “The mentality is to help people have success. We want them to get the right plants. … Our motto is to be a ‘day maker.’”
How do you choose the right plants? “You look at the area you want to plant in, and say, ‘Oh, it gets this amount of sun each day. Is it windy there? Is it dry there?’ You have to find out if the plant likes sun or shade. Can it handle wet or regular soil? What colors do you like? … We have a rainbow of colors here.”
What’s popular? “Right now, hydrangeas are the thing. They’re showing all their flowers. It’s seasonal.
And in the spring? “In the spring, a different variety of annuals to make your containers. … We’re one of the few places that has a very large selection of perennials and annuals, stuff you may not find anywhere else. …We do (sell) vegetables, too. We grow 50 to 60% of our annuals and perennials. We grow 100% of the vegetables and herbs we sell here. Those are grown organically.”
Any competition? “Yes and no. A lot of our fellow independent garden centers have retired or moved on. There are the big box stores.”
Are you buying quality there? “No, you’re not. But that’s a matter of education. Yes, you can go to Menards and buy some plants, but you can get better quality at local (garden centers). … We’re pretty competitive in our pricing. You come for the selection and expertise. We are conscious and fair in what we charge.”
How many people work here? “Because we’re seasonal, about 100 in May between both stores in peak season and down to about 30 in the winter.”
What do you do in the winter? “Our planning for the following year. In February, we’ll start up production for the spring crops in our greenhouses in Aurora.”
What do you notice about climate change? “Winters aren’t cold enough to kill off all the bugs and bunnies that eat everything. … We don’t get as much rain in the summer.”
What challenges do you face? “Weather. My dad taught me it evens out if you have a bad weekend.”
When are you open? “Most of the time, 10 to 5.”
When are you busiest? “April, May and June.”
What should we remember? “Watering is the number one thing that will help you have success. … Never cut anything back until the spring.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Do your research and know what you’re getting into. Make sure it’s a niche that hasn’t been filled in your market. It’s tricky these days with rising costs, materials and labor.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
