Greenhouse Management: Born to Grow

Greenhouse Management | December 2019

by: Brooke Bilyj

As a third-generation grower at Bob’s Market and Greenhouses in Mason, West Virginia, Eric Barnitz believes he was made for the greenhouse business.

“I was basically born into this,” says Eric, whose grandparents, Robert and Corena Barnitz, founded the business in 1970 as a roadside produce market. “I always knew I was going to be a part of it.”

From a young age, Eric and his cousins pitched in by preassembling trays for the small family greenhouse. By the time he hit his early teenage years, Eric began exploring the different aspects of the business to discover which part of the operation fit him best.

“Each of my grandpa’s five sons were in charge of an aspect of the business,” Eric says. “The oldest, Bobby, is in charge of plug production. My dad, Rick, is in charge of growing. Scott is in charge of the retail aspect of the business. Jeff is in charge of the trucking, and John is in charge of finished production and shipping.”

Several other family members and their spouses are also involved in the business, and of course, Grandpa Bob “still comes around every single day,” Eric says, although he’s technically retired.

After experiencing each aspect of the operation, Eric naturally followed in his father’s footsteps (who had previously taken after his father as well) by pursuing the growing side of the business. Eric began growing for Bob’s Market in the year 2000, just two years after the company became a seedling supplier for Ball Seed.

Now, after several years in the position of head plug grower, Eric is preparing to take over his dad’s role of head grower — transitioning the family business into the third generation.