The History of Al's Garden Center

Al’s Garden Center is a perfect example of true Oregon business, steeped in agriculture and in the spirit of entrepreneurship. What began in 1948 as a roadside fruit stand housed in an unused chicken coop on Hwy 99E has evolved into a third generation privately owned family business. Al’s currently employs over 100 Oregonians who work in 5 growing facilities, a 6-acre garden center in Woodburn, a 13,000 sq ft garden center in Gresham, and a 10 ½ acre retail garden center in Sherwood.

 

How did this all come about?

 

Al and Ann Bigej opened Al’s Fruit Stand, which wasn’t an easy feat in itself, but it was their middle son Jack who is recognized as the true entrepreneur with his passion for business and plants. After graduating from high school, Jack began working at the fruit stand to help his dad. With the construction of I-5 in 1959, the tourist business that had previously passed by Al’s Fruit Stand was significantly less. With the loss of business, Jack decided to start selling nursery stock to expand their focus to local consumers. Al left this new end of the business to Jack and remained focused on the fruit sales. The nursery business was successful and by 1961, Jack was brought into his father’s business as a partner.

 

In 1970, the old chicken coop was replaced by a new building that would incorporate both the fruit and the expanding nursery stock business. The name was then changed to the more appropriate, “Al’s Fruit and Shrub Center”.

 

During the 1980’s, Al’s health began to deteriorate and Jack took over running the entire business. Jack continued with the nursery stock, expanding it through the years. With Jack’s own growing family, he knew it was time to expand his business and diversify it again, so seasonal bedding plants began to appear in the product mix. Seeing what was available to retail owners, Jack was certain that he could grow a higher quality plant product, and produce it at a lower cost to the customer. Plus, he wanted to differentiate Al’s Fruit and Shrub by having a wider variety of plants for customers to select from. By 1982, Jack had built his first growing facility that consisted of only five greenhouses. It was a success!

 

 

In the spring of 1989, Al Bigej passed away. Although he is missed, his legacy lives on in Jack and in the Bigej family. In the 1990’s, three of the four Bigej kids returned home to help Jack build his vision of  what a retail garden center could be.  Each family member assumed different responsibilities in the business.

 

By 1995 the produce was phased out and it was time again for a name change that more accurately depicted the business. Never wanting to forget their roots, in 2001 the name was changed to Al’s Garden Center.

 

In April of 2004, Al’s Garden Center opened their Gresham growing facility to the public to retail seasonal bedding plants. The response was amazing, and as a result, the store was expanded and now stays open year round.

 

After many years of planning, in August of 2005, Jack’s long held dream of opening a large retail garden center in the Portland area came true. Located in Sherwood, Oregon Al’s Garden Center build a 10.5 acre, state-of-the-art garden center. A retractable roof approximately the size of a football field covers the garden center allowing customers and plants to enjoy weather on glorious days in Oregon.

 

Al’s Garden Centers now strive to become the best of the best. Al’s representatives are continually traveling both nationally and internationally looking for new and exciting ideas to improve our customer experience and the quality of our plant material. Visit any of Al’s Garden Centers and you’ll know why Al’s was selected in 2005 as Garden Center of the Year by the National association Garden Centers of America.