THE GREENERY TIMELINE

1973: February 1, Berry and Ruthie Edwards buy a small nursery with six employees, a couple of old pickup trucks and the desire to do something different.

1974: Ruthie, Berry and Lee (age 6) purchase a circa 1873 church and move it by barge from Ridgeland to Hilton Head to begin what is now the Antiques & Collectibles Shop.

1981: The Greenery expands and opens a maintenance shop on Arrow Road.

1992: The Greenery expands to serve Bluffton and the surrounding area.

1999: Lee Edwards opens a branch in Charleston.

2003: Berry Edwards creates an ESOP. The Hardeeville office opens to serve Bluffton, Beaufort, Sun City and Savannah.

2007: Lee Edwards becomes president of The Greenery.

2011: The Greenery opens the Beaufort branch.

2012: The Greenery receives a national award for landscape work in Palmetto Bluff.

2013: The Greenery opens the Savannah branch.

2019: The Greenery launches the Daytona branch.

2020: The Greenery launches the Greenville branch.

2021: The Greenery acquires Martex Landscape serving Amelia Island and Jacksonville.

2023: The Greenery celebrates its 20-year ESOP anniversary and 50-year business anniversary and now has over 750 employees.

pride she felt for the company’s past to the present, she added, “I will see one of our properties and the sun is shining on it and it is so beautiful, and I think to myself, ‘We did that.’”

According to Ashmore, to create a culture, you need to pass down tradition. “Here, the older employees pass it down to the new ones. We may have grown, but we still have that small company feel. Our values are on display every day,” he said.

Van Dijk agreed. “Part of what I’m focusing on now in emerging markets is to tell the stories from the past as well as to know that every time we bring a new person in, they are bringing a new element into our culture. Their visions continue to evolve us,” he said.

All three also agreed that the current company culture began when the Edwards set out to do something different for Hilton Head. And it is this culture that enables The Greenery to accomplish its purpose statement, “Enhancing people’s lives through beautiful landscaping.”

Ultimately, this culture creates a legacy of growing opportunities: opportunities for individuals and their families, opportunities for business expansion and economic growth, and opportunities for our communities to be better both aesthetically and intrinsically.

“Growth is part of our culture. We want our employees to exceed their goals,” van Dijk said.

“Our people are our greatest asset,” Ashmore added. “And I tell people all the time, if you want to be fulfilled, this is the place to do it.” 