The Sprucery Garden Center
4647 N Hwy 83
Franktown, CO 80116
(720) 583-8119
https://thesprucery.com
Interview with Greg Zabikow, CEO
What attracted you to the position at The Sprucery?
I was attracted to The Sprucery because of the staff, products offered, location, and residential growth in the area. I’ve been at The Sprucery for a year, though the company has been in business for 15 years. During the past 25 years, I’ve worked in corporate finance and operations roles in different industries for several companies. I learned two key elements to business success—having team members who work together for a common goal, and delivering a positive customer experience. It’s exciting to me in my current role, to have the opportunity to impact both key factors. I see business and sports as analogous when building a team. To succeed, there needs to be a vision or cornerstone that everyone can get behind. I swam in college and knew success was a team effort. At The Sprucery, our shared core values drive us to work together and to serve our customers well.
What did you know about the business of nurseries and landscaping before joining The Sprucery?
I worked a landscaping job while in college in Illinois. Then, over the years, I had vegetable gardens. More recently, during COVID, I planted a wildflower garden.
What I learned during COVID is people want to enjoy their outdoor space at home. Since COVID, I believe this trend has continued. As I learn more about the growing environment in Colorado, and the landscaping needs of those moving more south in the metro Denver area—such as south of Parker—I notice lots of opportunity for designing and installing low-water landscapes as development in the area continues.
What Makes The Sprucery Unique?
At The Sprucery, we have three ‘brands’ with offerings to satisfy a customer base that has multiple needs. These brands are The Sprucery Garden Center, The Sprucery Scapes and The Sprucery Maintenance, which was formerly known as Rocky Mountain Ponds & Waterfalls.
At The Sprucery Garden Center, we are a full-service nursery on over 20 acres. It includes a garden center for individual homeowners and wholesale landscape contractors. Secondly, The Sprucery Scapes, offers complete landscape design and installation. This business segment has increasing demand due to all the new home development. Thirdly, The Sprucery Maintenance, offers maintenance services for homeowners, which brings the other two segments full circle for continuing the upkeep and ‘sprucing up’ one’s outdoor space.
Overall, it’s not just the plants we care about. We care about the entire customer experience. We want to create the best retail experience possible for customers, which also includes warranty and delivery services that are consistent. Within our broad spectrum of customer types with different expectations, we seek to understand each customer’s desires. The strength of our staff is their ability to work with diverse customers to ensure they are serviced and have a positive experience. We take customer feedback very seriously, whether positive or negative. It helps us continue to get better.
What are Key Changes You Have Introduced Since Joining The Sprucery?
We formalized company core values. We want people to be committed to them and be reflected in how we operate. I believe these core values are critical for building the company culture we desire, one that respects others and cares about the customer experience. Defining who we are includes:
- We are plant people.
- We are learners and teachers.
- We have fun.
- We operate with trust.
Our goal is for every customer to have an outstanding experience.
Why do you join CNGA?
Industry groups are important and provide opportunities to share ideas and best practices on a local level, not only with other business owners but also with researchers at the university and with growers and propagators, as was the case during the recent CNGA Leadership meeting. We are stronger as a group. Additionally, advocacy for the industry is an important role of the association, and we can’t do it on our own.
