Local Greenhouse Business Blooms from 12-Year-Old’s Floor Sweeping Job

Abe Willekes started sweeping greenhouse floors at age 12 and has built that experience into Riverside Greenhouses, a thriving 92-acre operation in New Jersey. The family business now operates 76,000 square feet of greenhouse space and serves customers across the tri-state area, even importing citrus trees from Florida.

ALLAMUCHY, N.J. — What began as a floor-sweeping job for a 12-year-old has blossomed into a thriving greenhouse empire spanning nearly 100 acres.

Abe Willekes started his career doing basic cleaning tasks at a greenhouse facility. Over time, he took on maintenance duties, flower deliveries, and climbed the ranks at Plainview Growers in Pompton Plains, Morris County.

“In 1998, Plainview Growers expanded into Allamuchy, and I became manager of the operations,” said Abe. “Six years later, my wife, Beverly, and I bought 35 acres of land from a local dairy farmer.”

“We established Riverside Greenhouses in 2004, and started selling flowers during the following year,” he continued. “We began with about 16,000 square feet of greenhouse space.”

The business has experienced remarkable growth since its humble beginnings. Today’s operation spans 92 total acres with approximately 76,000 square feet under glass, Abe reports. Ten acres serve as outdoor growing areas, and during busy periods, the company employs around 20 workers.

The Willekes’ five sons, ranging from 6 to 17 years old, also pitch in around the facility.

“It’s beautiful here,” said Abe. “There is a lot of preserved farmland in the area. That means you’re able to get more land for less cost as compared to other areas.”

Riverside Greenhouses maintains year-round production schedules. Spring varieties include begonias, dahlias and geraniums, followed by summer bloomers like zinnias, cannas, and petunias. Autumn brings mums, ornamental cabbage, and ornamental kale, while winter focuses on various poinsettia cultivars.

The operation also produces foliage plants and houseplants beyond flowering varieties.

Production methods vary depending on the crop. Some plants begin as plugs, others as liners, then transfer from 102-cell liner trays or 288-plug trays into individual containers. Direct seeding handles vegetables like cucumbers, melons, and beans.

“We sell on a wholesale basis,” Abe said. “Most of our customers are within about two hours of our location. We sell to independent garden centers, landscapers, and florists in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Landscapers use our flowers to enhance properties, including country clubs and golf courses, throughout the area.”

“We email and fax almost 500 customers weekly,” he continued. “We let them know what we have available every week. Sometimes, we email and fax them twice a week.”

Perhaps the most surprising product line involves citrus trees — an unusual sight in Warren County, New Jersey.

“We bring two tractor-trailer loads of citrus trees up from Florida each year,” said Abe. “We re-wholesale the forty pallets of trees to our customers.”

“Lemon trees are the most popular type of citrus trees we sell,” he continued. “We also sell lime, orange, and tangerine trees. The trees are in one-gallon, three-gallon, five-gallon, and ten-gallon containers. We even have 30-gallon containers. Some of our garden center customers use these larger trees as showpieces.”

Recent expansion efforts have diversified the business further.

“We’ve added a product line of shrubs,” Abe said. “This includes roses and hydrangeas. We see great potential in the future.”