Published June 6, 2024
By Lauren Lawley Head – Contributor to Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal
When a 911 call came in at 3:30 a.m. on October 2, 2022, that reported a fire at Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery, multiple fire engines rushed to the scene. Derek Lynde, the fifth-generation owner of the Maple Grove business, will never forget the sky’s orange glow as he drove the four miles from his home.
“Part of me was trying to tell myself it wasn’t the greenhouse on fire, but sure enough, it was,” he said.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze. A quarter of the business was destroyed. The fire, ultimately ruled an act of arson, took out the warehouse, loading docks, storage area, production offices, employee break room and plant production line. And the holiday season was just beginning.
The nursery had 22,000 to 23,000 poinsettia plants, carefully nurtured under sun-blocking shades in anticipation of Christmas. They were now without light, heat and water, and the Minnesota winter was on its way.
Lynde knew the Christmas poinsettias would die if he didn’t move them. But to where? And how? All of the nursery’s carts and trays had melted in the fire. They couldn’t receive replacements because the team had no way to unload plants without them freezing. They also couldn’t start growing new ones because the tools, assembly line and soil-handling equipment had been destroyed.
Then the Christmas miracle happened. People from the community started showing up for their beloved neighborhood nursery. “It was crazy,” Lynde said. “I would never have guessed that what happened was even possible.”
The first to arrive was the owner of another local greenhouse who came to see how he could help. “Immediately he said, ‘Let’s get some trucks over here. Let’s get your plants moved over,’” Lynde said. “And he volunteered his space.”
Then, the team at Lynde sent emails and posted on social media asking the community for help saving Christmas.
Other greenhouses in town sent trucks, people, carts and trays. More than 300 volunteers — including some of the firefighters who had helped put the flames out — helped transfer the plants, creating a human assembly line passing trays of poinsettias to the waiting trucks. Sarah Anderson, Vice President, Commercial Banker at Highland Bank, and Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery’s banker, was among those on hand to offer support.
“My husband is a firefighter, so I heard about the fire early in the morning,” Anderson said, noting that the community’s response to the tragedy was remarkable. “We just wanted to do everything we could.”
Highland Bank and Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery have a strong banking relationship. Highland Bank manages all of Lynde’s deposit accounts, loans and cash management services, providing a powerful combination of technological solutions along with years of cash flow expertise. The bank also provides Lynde with a line of credit.
“I know how the business operates,” Anderson said. “I understand the business cycle and can anticipate their needs.”
Though Derek Lynde bought into the family business with his dad, Ed, in 2011, he’d grown up working in the greenhouses. His childhood home is on the nursery’s property and he has access to the family’s business records dating back to 1896. His great-great-grandfather, Charles H. Lynde, once noted that he’d had a good day because he sold 24 roses for “two bits.”
After World War I, the business focused on growing and selling flowers. In 1971, it moved to Maple Grove and a retail garden center was opened in 1982. The business continued to expand and became the first greenhouse in Minnesota to install permanent conveyors to transport plants.
But the past few years have been challenging for the Lynde family. Shortly after Ed passed away in 2019, Covid-19 shut down the nation. While in the thick of managing 40 employees (up to 75 seasonally) and navigating Covid challenges, the fire struck.
Today, the long wait for full recovery in the fire’s aftermath is nearly over. After the disaster, Highland assisted Lynde through multiple financing avenues to cover shortfalls from insurance to rebuild the operations. The damage was extensive, and construction took more than a year to complete. Getting production back up to full capacity was key.
Spring has always been a busy time for the nursery and, with community support and the help of Highland Bank, Lynde said he’s hopeful for a good season. Lynde is eager to get back among the plants, to move beyond spending his time with insurance companies and construction managers.
“Since I was 12, I’d come to the greenhouse and work in the spring,” he said. “I love it. I want to get back to wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, get dirty and walk around the place that has always meant so much to me.”
Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery has been owned and operated by five generations of the Lynde family. Serving the community for over 100 years, they produce plants for their retail garden center, residential and commercial off-site installations, wholesalers, and their fundraising programs.
