Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei

Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei und Baumschule GmbH is a horticultural company headquartered in Wiesmoor, in the East Frisian district of Lower Saxony, Germany. Its main business fields are the production of pot plants and nursery plants for wholesale, and the operation of eight Wiesmoor BlumenCenter stores selling flowers and plants. The branches are located in Wiesmoor, Aurich, Bassum, Edewecht, Emden, Norden, Sulingen and Wardenburg. Beyond these core activities the company operates additional business fields, including the Hotel-Restaurant Blauer Fasan, a golf resort with holiday homes, real estate and property development projects with the town of Wiesmoor, and energy generation through photovoltaics. For many years the firm was the largest pot-plant nursery in Germany, until the larger Emsflower overtook it. The company traces its origins to 1925, when it was founded as a business unit of the former Nordwestdeutsche Kraftwerke AG (NWK), with around 50,000 m² under glass at the time. The greenhouses were heated by waste heat from an NWK power station fired with peat from a nearby extraction area, the Wiesmoor peat power station. Until 1965 mainly vegetables were grown. By 1964 the greenhouses were outdated and no longer profitable, so alongside the demolition of the power station the nursery was also abandoned. On 31 May 1965 NWK founded Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei GmbH and built, next to a new gas-turbine power station, a completely new greenhouse facility of around 39,000 m² under glass, which was leased to the newly founded company. At the time this was the largest and most modern contiguous greenhouse facility in Europe. Instead of vegetables, ornamental plants were now cultivated. Completion of the entire facility took until 1967. In 1972 the company merged with Wiesmoor Baumschule GmbH, and a year later NWK's 200-hectare agricultural operation was integrated into the company. In the following years several structural expansions were undertaken. In 1974 the first Wiesmoor BlumenCenter opened in Wiesmoor; by 1981 its total area was gradually enlarged to 3,000 m². In 1982 an existing hotel-restaurant (Blauer Fasan) of NWK was added. In 1985 the sole shareholder NWK merged into PreussenElektra AG. Since 1995 there has been cooperation in the marketing of pot plants with the Nordwest-Blumen Gartenbaugenossenschaft eG. In 2000 PreussenElektra AG and Bayernwerk AG merged into E.ON Energie AG. The following year five senior employees, led by the long-serving managing director, acquired all business shares in a management buy-out. In cooperation with the tourist information office of the town of Wiesmoor, the nursery offered daily guided tours with a visitor vehicle through the nursery and greenhouse facility from March to October. On New Year's Eve 2014/2015, around 10,000 m² of greenhouse area in Wiesmoor was devastated in a major fire. The estimated damage was around 500,000 euros. Fireworks were considered the probable cause. Because of the fire in the greenhouses on the 200-hectare site, Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei had to cease its ornamental plant production there. The greenhouses were subsequently further destroyed by vandalism and all were demolished by 2023. Since 2016 only the nursery department and the garden centers remain. In 2019 the company commissioned its first photovoltaic system on the company's dispatch hall, and further renewable energy installations followed.

The history of Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei begins in 1925, when it was founded as a business unit of the former Nordwestdeutsche Kraftwerke AG (NWK), with around 50,000 m² under glass at the time. The greenhouses were heated by waste heat from an NWK power station fired with peat from a nearby extraction area, the Wiesmoor peat power station. Until 1965 mainly vegetables were grown. By 1964 the greenhouses were outdated and no longer profitable, so alongside the demolition of the power station the nursery was also abandoned. On 31 May 1965, NWK founded Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei GmbH and built, next to a new gas-turbine power station, a completely new greenhouse facility of around 39,000 m² under glass, which was leased to the newly founded company. At the time this was the largest and most modern contiguous greenhouse facility in Europe. Instead of vegetables, ornamental plants were now cultivated. Completion of the entire facility took until 1967. In 1971/72 a new modern experimental facility was built to constantly bring new plants, varieties and colors to market and to optimize production processes. In 1972 the company merged with Wiesmoor Baumschule GmbH, forming Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei und Baumschule GmbH (WG), with NWK as sole shareholder. In 1973 NWK's 200-hectare agricultural operation (arable farming, dairy and bull fattening) was integrated into WG by lease agreement, so that all of NWK's "green operations" in Wiesmoor were managed by WG. In 1974 the first Wiesmoor BlumenCenter opened on 500 m² in the town of the same name; by 1981 it was gradually enlarged to 3,000 m². In 1982 an existing hotel-restaurant (Blauer Fasan) of NWK was added. In 1985 the sole shareholder NWK merged into PreussenElektra AG. Since 1995 there has been cooperation in the marketing of pot plants with the Nordwest-Blumen Gartenbaugenossenschaft eG. In 2000 PreussenElektra AG and Bayernwerk AG merged into E.ON Energie AG. The following year five senior employees, led by the long-serving managing director, acquired all business shares in a management buy-out. In cooperation with the tourist information office of the town of Wiesmoor, the nursery offered daily guided tours with a visitor vehicle through the nursery and greenhouse facility from March to October. On New Year's Eve 2014/2015, around 10,000 m² of greenhouse area in Wiesmoor was devastated in a major fire. The estimated damage was around 500,000 euros. Fireworks were considered the probable cause. Because of the fire in the greenhouses on the 200-hectare site, Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei had to cease its ornamental plant production there. The greenhouses were subsequently further destroyed by vandalism and all were demolished by 2023. Since 2016 only the nursery department and the garden centers remain. In 2019 the company commissioned its first photovoltaic system on the company's dispatch hall, and further renewable energy installations followed.

• 2023

  All remaining greenhouses on the 200-hectare site had been demolished.

• 2019

  Commissioning of the first photovoltaic system on the company's dispatch hall.

• 2016

  Since this year only the nursery department and the garden centers remain.

• 2014

  On New Year's Eve 2014/2015, around 10,000 m² of greenhouse area was devastated in a major fire; estimated damage around 500,000 euros.

• 2001

  Management buy-out: five senior employees led by the long-serving managing director acquired all business shares.

• 2000

  PreussenElektra AG and Bayernwerk AG merged into E.ON Energie AG.

• 1995

  Cooperation in the marketing of pot plants with Nordwest-Blumen Gartenbaugenossenschaft eG.

• 1985

  Sole shareholder NWK merged into PreussenElektra AG.

• 1982

  Addition of an existing hotel-restaurant (Blauer Fasan) of NWK.

• 1981

  The Wiesmoor BlumenCenter was gradually enlarged to 3,000 m².

• 1974

  Opening of the first Wiesmoor BlumenCenter on 500 m² in Wiesmoor.

• 1973

  Integration of NWK's 200-hectare agricultural operation into WG by lease agreement.

• 1972

  Merger with Wiesmoor Baumschule GmbH; new company name Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei und Baumschule GmbH (WG); NWK sole shareholder.

• 1971

  Construction of a new modern experimental facility for research into new plants, varieties and colors.

• 1967

  Completion of the new greenhouse facility, one of the largest and most modern contiguous greenhouse facilities in Europe at the time.

• 1965

  On 31 May, NWK founded Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei GmbH and built a new greenhouse facility of around 39,000 m² under glass.

• 1925

  Founded as a business unit of Nordwestdeutsche Kraftwerke AG (NWK), with around 50,000 m² under glass.

Regional horticultural group in the Weser-Ems region with six strong pillars: BlumenCenter retail, nursery, tourism, real estate, energy and wholesale plant production; formerly Germany's largest pot-plant nursery.

• Pot plants

• Nursery plants

• Flowers

• Ornamental plants

• Garden center retail goods

• Photovoltaic energy

• Hotel and restaurant services

• Golf resort and holiday homes

• Real estate development

1. 1Wiesmoor Gärtnerei – Blumencenter, Baumschule, Touristik und Immobilienwiesmoor-gaertnerei.de
2. 2Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Wiesmoor-Gärtnerei – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org