| We are very pleased to introduce our first
newsletter, the Johannsen’s Greensheet. This issue appears in your mailbox when
thoughts leap to spring at the first sign of the mercury’s climb above the freezing
mark. Appropriately enough, we focus our issue on that busiest time for gardeners in
Wisconsin. We’ll fill you in on activities that will give you a jump on the season.
And along the way, we’ll tell you a bit about ourselves and where we came from. |
| Many of you have been Johannsen’s
customers for decades, but those of you who are new to the greenhouse may not realize that
Johannsen’s has been in business in the same location for 37 years. Founded in 1960
by Chuck Johannsen, the greenhouse was the first business in what is today a bustling part
of the West Beltline. In 1960, the Beltline was an undivided, four-lane road. Just ten
years later, however, the city built the overpass that stands near the greenhouse today,
and the business lost its front parking lot. The old farmhouse behind our greenhouses is
the only trace of the pastoral life that once existed so close to Madison’s
downtown. |
...the business depends on a "family" of employees...Walt who is
beginning his 25th year and Kati who is starting her 21st. |
Chuck Johannsen passed away in 1993 at the age of 84, but
the business is still very much family owned and operated. Gary, Lyn, and Karen—the
Johannsen "children"—run the greenhouse, along with their mother Joy. In
addition to the immediate family, the business depends on a "family" of
employees. Twelve full-time people help run the garden center, including Walt, who is
beginning his 25th year, and Kati, who is starting her 21st. Many seasonal employees, a
number of whom return year after year, join the staff during our spring "rush"
and at Christmas. |
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