By Chris Faulkner
Two long-standing greenhouse businesses are merging — Ty Louck of Ty’s Greenhouse in Wever purchased Matt Mohrfeld’s Matt’s Greenhouse in Fort Madison.
Ted Goldie, Louck’s cousin, had been Mohrfeld’s operations manager from 2013-2023, and he will join Louck under the new entity, TNT Greenhouses, LLC.
It will have wholesale greenhouse production, such as bedding plants, hanging baskets, and patio pots. There will also be spring flower and garden products.
Each spring, Mohrfeld had set up Matt’s Greenhouse at the Fareway grocery stores in Fort Madison and Burlington, which his wife Beth operated.
That operation will now be called Lucy’s Flowers, in honor of Louck’s and Goldie’s grandmother, Lucy Goldie.
“When grandma and grandpa retired,” Ted Goldie said of Lucy and the late Philip Goldie, “they came to work for Ty. They had helped him through the years and were very integrated into the business. They were helping for many, many years.”
TNT will employ about 75 people during the peak season.
Mohrfeld established The Flower Cottage in 1977, and he and Louck worked for Beebe’s Greenhouse in Wever in the late 1970s. Around 1982, The Flower Cottage became Matt’s Greenhouse & Flower Cottage. Ty’s Greenhouse started in 1992.
Goldie said of the acquisition, “We weren’t really competitors. We would buy supplies together, so we could get some buying power.”
The two businesses sold to different markets, and combined they sold to farm stores, grocery stores independent flower shops, and garden centers.
“It was the obvious right choice for the business, keeping it local,” Goldie said, “having two owners that are very invested in the local community.”
Matt Mohrfeld, currently the mayor of Fort Madison, said, “We’re at a point in the business where it’s doing really well, but it had to go to the next stage. Given my age and where it was at, and they were aggressive and at their age, and where they’re at, the next thing to do to keep the business moving was to pass the baton to the next group.
“I’m tickled to be part of that. But for it to be where it needs to be in five years, it needed to be done.”
Mohrfeld said he’ll be helping out in the transition phase.
Louck said, “We’re looking forward to combining our resources and growing the business together.”
The company will continue to sell mums in the fall and poinsettias around Christmas time.
Lucy’s Flowers will open in spring 2024 when weather conditions are right. Louck’s daughters, Morgan Pieper and Samantha Louck will operate that portion of the business.
Goldie worked for his cousin Ty when he was in high school. That job “sparked everything moving forward.”
“I was always interested in the greenhouse business, and I’ve always enjoyed it,” Goldie said.
After he graduated from Des Moines Area Community College, he worked for Ty from 1998-2008. He began to work for Matt’s Greenhouse in 2011.
“I’m glad to have the opportunity to do this at another level,” Goldie said.