Ooltewah garden center named one of top five in country

Today's Garden Center named Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co. the top garden center for the southeastern region and one of the top five in the nation, according to a news release. 

“The garden centers that made this year’s list are an exceptional group of forward-thinking independent retailers who thrived during a tough economy, which helps their community,” Today’s Garden Center Editor Carol Miller said in a prepared statement. “We are proud to call them revolutionary.”

“We are deeply honored to be named the best garden center in the Southeast and one of the top five in the country. We have made major changes at ONLC since 2010, and we are delighted that our hard work has received national attention,” Greg Miller, general manager, said. 

The area garden center was the Southeastern Regional Winner of Today’s Garden Center’s Revolutionary 100, which is in its eighth year.

Leaders survey garden center owners and managers to create a list of the 100 most "revolutionary garden centers in the nation," according to the news release. 

It is open to all independent garden centers, large and small, and is based on leadership and innovation.

Garden center owners and managers across the United States fill out an online questionnaire about topics such as customer and community service, management philosophy, marketing, use of technology, purchasing and profitability.

Leaders then rank the entries using a point system, and the 100 top applicants make the Revolutionary 100.

Out of those 100, the best garden center in each of five geographic regions is named the regional winner.

Wendell & Gina Whitener founded Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co. in 1989. 

“We have always held that our purpose as a family-owned business is to serve the lawn and gardening needs of our community," Gina said in a prepared statement. "Our community has changed a great deal in recent years, and we had to change, too."