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MIRAMAR, CA – Already the largest supplier of plants to commercial landscapers in San Diego County, Miramar Wholesale Nurseries today announced its acquisition of Sea Tree Nurseries, Inc. in Irvine, marking its third acquisition in little more than a year and its second in Orange County.

After assuming operations in April of Ortega Growers in San Juan Capistrano, the Sea Tree buyout continues a northward march that Miramar Wholesale Nurseries began early last year with the acquisition of Vista Hill Nursery in Vista.

The acquisitions have expanded not only the company’s geographic reach, but also its inventory, increasing the number and types of plants and trees available. Another benefit, said Miramar Wholesale Nurseries President Tom Ewing, is that commercial property managers and other corporate clients in San Diego County can now get products and services for their Orange County and Los Angeles basin sites.

For the past year, Miramar Wholesale Nurseries has been at the center of a series of broader mergers and acquisitions that have reinforced its position as a major force in San Diego’s horticulture industry. As the fourth largest industry in San Diego County, horticulture plays an increasingly important role in the economy as a whole. Nurseries, greenhouses, floriculture firms and sod producers contribute $2.4 billion to the County’s economy each year, accounting for more than half of the impact of all farming, according to the Farm Bureau. More than 15,000 people in San Diego County work in the horticulture industry, according to the 1990 census report.

In October 1998, Miramar Wholesale Nurseries was acquired by LandCare USA, the largest commercial landscape and tree service in the country. At the same time, LandCare USA acquired Landtrends, a Miramar-based landscaping company owned and operated by Ewing’s brother, Jon. The result was the first melding of a nursery and a landscaping operation under the LandCare USA umbrella, positioning it as a double-resource from the moment LandCare USA entered the vast, fragmented San Diego market.

"Prior to choosing a San Diego partner, LandCare conducted an exhaustive search of the local players, and all indicators pointed to Landtrends and Miramar Wholesale Nurseries," said Steve Cook, a consultant to LandCare USA. "There are many advantages to the unique combination of a nursery and a landscape company, including more control over the production of plant material. In one of the most intensely landscaped areas of the country, consistent, quality inventory is of tremendous importance."

Also in February, LandCare USA merged with TruGreen-ChemLawn in a stock-for-stock deal, creating the largest commercial landscaping company in America with annual revenues approaching $600 million. TruGreen-ChemLawn is a subsidiary of Service Master, a Fortune 500, NYSE-traded company operating in more than 30 countries through such varied subsidiaries as Terminex, Rescue Rooter and Merry Maids.

While these developments are significant to the nursery and landscaping industries – and provide Miramar Wholesale Nurseries with access to greater resources and a cushion against outside economic forces – Tom Ewing expects his longtime customers will notice little change beyond the expanded range of services and inventory.

"With all the growth and changes, we continue to operate business as usual," he said. "It is important to our staff to maintain and emphasize the company’s basic business philosophies. Our goal is still to be a dependable member of our customer’s team."

Miramar Wholesale Nurseries is San Diego’s leading supplier of landscape plant materials and supplies. It is continually custom-growing shrubs, trees, seasonal color, and groundcovers for future projects in and around the San Diego area. Most of San Diego’s commercial properties, institutions, property managers, and commercial landscapers are clients of Miramar Wholesale Nurseries. In addition, Miramar’s fully stocked, six-acre will-call facility serves the immediate needs of its San Diego customers. In an acquisition in early 1999, Miramar Wholesale Nurseries became a member of the San Diego region of TruGreen-LandCare, a ServiceMaster company.

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