Beautifying your surroundings since 1959!
Our History
Echter's has a long tradition of growing and selling flowers and plants
going back for generations. George
Echter built a greenhouse and flower shop in Iowa
after immigrating here from Germany. He
and his wife Opal had four sons, all of whom got involved in the industry.
In
1959, brothers Bob and Jim Echter bought the greenhouse and land at the corner
of 52nd Ave. and Garrison St. It
was a small greenhouse, but had enough land for the planned expansion. The business started as a cut-carnation growing operation with a marketing agreement
to sell all flowers to Davis Bros. Wholesale Florists in Wheat Ridge.
The business expanded over the years from 15,000 to 60,000 square feet. Jim moved to southern California in 1965 and started his own greenhouse
operations there. Bob continued to
build greenhouses here until the business reached to over 100,000 sq. ft.
Bob served on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Flower Growers
Association, Colorado Floriculture Foundation, and the American Carnation
Society. Over the years Echter's won many awards for the quality of their
carnations at the ACS competitions and introduced some new varieties to the
market. Bob Echter and Don Rody formed Rocky Mountain Wholesale Florists in
1970 and shipped their carnations, as well as the flowers of other growers in
the area,
across the country.
During the 70's the dramatic rise of South American imported carnations and the
spiraling costs of heating fuels here forced Echter's to find ways to diversify their business. Bob and his son Steve decided to start growing bedding plants for the
local market. They also decided that
in the long run they would be forced to discontinue growing carnations. Therefore, instead of adding greenhouses for bedding plant production,
some of the carnation greenhouses were stripped down to bare ground inside and
completely redesigned for their new purposes.
Over the next few years the garden center was expanded to include hard
goods, roses, perennials, and a tree and shrub nursery. A full-service florist shop was added.
In December 1988 Steve and Dave Echter bought Echter’s from Bob Echter.
By 1990 all of the original carnation growing area had been converted to
growing area for annual flowers, perennials, roses, or to retail sales area.
In 1991 Echter’s joined the
Home and Garden Showplace buying cooperative.
In 1994 Echter’s opened their patio furniture department.
In 1995 Echter’s discontinued selling cut flowers in the floral shop. This was the final step in the passage to the new retail business.
In 2004 Echter's was awarded an Outstanding Family Business by the city of Arvada and Steve and Dave were presented the Lloyd King Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
In 2004 Echter's was named the best garden center by the Rocky Mountain News.
In 2005 Steve Echter was elected president of the Garden Centers of America.
In 2005 Echter's was named the best garden center by the Rocky Mountain News and in the Reader's Poll
In 2008 Echter's was named the Garden Center Retailer of the Year by the Garden Centers of America.