Indiana company finalizes purchase of Vermont’s Gardener’s Supply

SHELBURNE, Vt. (WCAX) – The estimated $9 million sale of Gardener’s Supply to an Indiana company is now complete.

It’s the end of an era for Burlington-based Gardener’s Supply.

Back in June, the employee-owned business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. After a boom in business during the pandemic, officials said trouble ensued as things returned to normal.

“Seeing that kind of growth in business and then coming off of that cycle puts a lot of pressure on companies to reduce their size and to shrink with the size of that demand going down,” said Felix Cooper, president and CEO of Gardens Alive, which purchased the Vermont brand.

The company last week laid off 60 employees. Cooper says the employee-owned model will not carry over, meaning impacts to the retirement structure for former employees. “The ESOP and that particular retirement structure is an element that’s a responsibility of the estate essentially, and that is going away and it’s not something we’re managing,” he said.

Through the purchase, Gardens Alive says five retail locations across Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire will stay open, and staff at those sites will be retained. Cooper says he hopes customers will benefit from that. “It’s the part about the brand that’s exciting for us,” he said. “Better fulfillment service, turn times — better experience on e-commerce. But really, the thing to rally around is the types of products that flow through — they’re of quality. We’re manufacturing domestically where we can and just really elevating the longevity of the goods,” he said.

Cooper says a manufacturing facility in Georgia, Vermont will also stay open. Staff there will be retained to continue manufacturing Vermont-made products.