May 18, 2013
Business Profile
Growing Opportunities at Sun Bulb and Better-Gro
Based in Arcadia, Sun Bulb produces plant bulbs and orchid supplies.
Art Levy | 9/28/2011
 Phalaenopsis ("Moth Orchid") |
Sun Bulb was born in 1956 in the trunk of A.P. Hollingsworth's car. Hollingsworth and his wife, Mildred, would buy a trunk full of caladium bulbs and resell them. Later, the company became one of the state's major producers of orchids. Today, A.P.'s sons — Tom, 60 and Rodney, 62 — run the 50-employee Arcadia company. Bulbs are only about 10% of the business now, with most of the growth coming from orchid supplies, such as fertilizers and mixes, sold under the Better-Gro brand. "The opportunities for growth are still out there," says Tom Hollingsworth. "It just takes, like most businesses, innovation and taking advantage of your experience to increase your business."
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