“If it happens outside, we do it!”, says Mike Villwock, owner of Villwocks Outdoor Living in Berrien Springs. “We provide not only service, but tools, products, knowledge, and information for our customers and community.”
The massive property that houses the business, specializing in landscaping, sales and service of outdoor power equipment, garden center and nursery, opened its doors in the Summer of 2017. Mike began this journey by moving his twenty-year landscaping company to this location, at 8008 M139, but his vision, along with his business, has now grown to include all aspects of showcasing the garden center experience.
The expansion project, which will introduce a 24,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, covered greenhouse, will be open through all seasons, offering year-round jobs for his employees, among other elements. “I want to continue to forge our relationship with the community,” Mike says. “With this new greenhouse, we will offer planting classes to community members and elementary schools, including tours and educational programs about container planting, pollinators, native plants, and the like.”
“People have morphed back into caring for their outdoor space,” Mike says. “In lieu of vacations and travel (during the pandemic), they were working on their yards, gardens, and landscapes, which helped our business increase. We help people maximize their experience in caring for their projects.”
There will be a total of 168 feet of retail frontage, so they’ll be doing a little bit of rearranging. The current perennial space, to the right of the parking lot and under shade cloth, will act as the showroom for landscaping supply. Mulch, rock, bricks and more, will be on display for shoppers to truly experience a hands-on approach in choosing the correct medium for their projects.
Power equipment and parts will have a permanent home inside the building, and as you enter the new greenhouse through the annex, you will quickly become engulfed in the space: one enormous, continuous room, bursting with plant life and possibilities.
“Mike is so cool about helping customers do-it-yourself,” says Tami McQuown, Account Specialist at Villwocks Outdoor Living. “It separates us from other companies that just sell products, and I admire that. He extends his hand into the community, making this expansion project a lifelong experience that will include us, his family, and our customers equally.”
Mike has been immersed in this world his whole life, aiding his mother at her garden center from a very young age. Days spent sowing seeds and planting, and napping on empty potting tables, clearly cultivated his connection to nature and outdoors, as well as highlighting the important role humans have in sustaining a green world.
With knowledgeable staff and a desire to bond with their customers, Villwocks forgoes the big box store mindset, and opens the door to communication. “This is an experience, not just a sale,” Mike says. “It isn’t about the dollars. This industry is about education and sharing information; we build relationships with our customers, and it is ongoing.”
The placement of the new structure allows for even more growth in the future, with the ability to continue adding on, increasing retail space as the company thrives. The expansion is scheduled for completion over the Winter, with a greenhouse Grand Opening date of April 1, 2023.
Last week at the Berrien County Youth Fair, the “Most Outstanding Outdoor Display” Award was presented to Mike and his team, bringing home the title for the third year. “Having a booth at the fair is fun– it’s a lot of work for just one week, but it allows fairgoers, who may not have ever been to our store, to see what we can do.” Being present in the community is important for Villwocks, which is evident in the excitement they share about what this new expansion means for the business.
Villwocks Outdoor Living offers a multitude of services, including lawn maintenance, new landscaping (patios and firepits!), sprinkler systems installation, Fall clean up, snow plowing, pest control, fertilizers, and an out-of-ground nursery, the list goes on and on. The home gardener will be pleased to peruse the fruit trees and bushes available in their planting season, as well as flats of vegetable seedlings, annuals, and perennials. Visit villwocksoutdoorliving.com or call 269-815-5419 for information, and stop in to shop at 8008 M139 in Berrien Springs. Congratulations on your expansion!
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor
