Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing

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Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing
Veseys – eight decades
   strong and still growing                                                                                                                                                                                       All products sold by Veseys, including offerings in its extensive bulb
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  collection, are tested annually on site. Visitors to the headquarters in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  York, P.E.I., are welcome to wander the colourful Flower Trial Gardens.
   Commitment to quality stems
   from founder’s market-garden roots
The turnip harvest at Veseys in the 1960s. The seed company was launched 80 years ago by Arthur Vesey, who was also a commercial grower. Bev Simpson (inset, in
1966) became an employee at age 19, and took over the company with his wife Shirley after Vesey retired in 1979.                          (Contributed photos)

                                                                                                        By Nicole Kitchener
                                                                                                           Vesey’s headquarters, in the rural community of York, Prince Edward
                                                                                                        Island, is a twisty warren of hallways, rooms, staircases, nooks, and cran-
                                                                                                        nies. A series of additions have been built on over the decades. At the
                                                                                                        building’s heart sits founder Arthur Vesey’s house and small shop where
                                                                                                        he first sold vegetable seeds in the late 1930s. Although Vesey died in 1999
                                                                                                        at the age of 92, you can almost sense him walking with you across each
                                                                                                        creaky floorboard and around every corner, marvelling at what his business
                                                                                                        has become – the largest mail-order gardening company in Canada.
                                                                                                           This year, Veseys celebrates its 80th anniversary. (The company recently
                                                                                                        dropped the apostrophe from its name, to avoid confusion when customers
                                                                                                        go online to find www.veseys.com.) Just as the head office has expanded
                                                                                                        through the years to encompass Arthur’s home and store, so too has the
                                                                                                        company continued to embody his values – commitment to quality, devotion
                                                                                                        to the customer, and staff appreciation – thereby maintaining high regard
                                                                                                        and reputation in the gardening world.
                                                                                                           Much of the credit goes to B.E. Simpson, the company’s president. Now
                                                                                                        81, Bev, as he is known, became Arthur’s employee when he was 19. The
Employees doing a final check on a customer’s order in 1962 (left). Corn samples (right) picked from    two became partners, working side-by-side until Arthur retired in 1979, at
seed trials to be tested for taste, quality, and consistency.                                           which point Bev took over the business with his wife Shirley.                  Cultivating between the rows at Veseys. Field trials have always been a key part of the business.
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Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing
Pauline Hager operating a circa-1950s seed packaging machine, still very much in use today at Veseys. Seeds are dropped into a
hopper and a predetermined quantity is fed into the packets. Replacement parts for the machine must be made from scratch, as
they are no longer manufactured.                                                                      (Nicole Kitchener photos)

   Bev recalls Arthur as a unique man      people throughout the Maritimes who               “We pretty much cover the spectrum       The bulk of the company’s operations remain on Arthur Vesey’s original 40-acre farm in York, P.E.I.          (Contributed photos)
with talents in a number of areas – mu-    had caught wind of this successful             of everything a gardener would need,”
sic, theatre, business, “and, of course,   grower in P.E.I.                               says John Barrett, Veseys’ director of      his side as vice-president.                   time, Veseys’ 60th anniversary, in             “We also decided to get into the
gardening.” He possessed a dry wit, was       Today, Veseys circulates more               sales, marketing, and development.             “As a family-owned business, we            1999, marked something of a turning         bulb business,” says Barrett. Veseys
a bit of a jokester, and loved dabbling    than a million copies of its full-colour                                                   recognize that our success is the result      point. Having already established an        is now Canada’s largest importer of
in magic. “An honest and hard-working      catalogue, which runs up to 170 pages,               BRING ON THE BULBS                    of our team of dedicated and com-             internet presence three years earlier,      Dutch bulbs. Each of the spring and
individual, Arthur had an innate abil-                                                       Arthur’s 40-acre farm in York            mitted staff,” says Bev. “Without the         it launched an e-commerce platform,         fall bulb catalogues introduces as
ity to judge character and recognize                                                      remains the company’s base, com-            wide range of talents that exist within       making it one of the first gardening        many as 100 or more new varieties.
the talents that existed within staff,”                                                   prising offices, seed laboratories,         our employees, we would never have            operations in the world to do so.              A significant portion of the com-
says Simpson. “Never motivated by                                                         packaging facilities, storage, and a        been able to reach our current family
money, Arthur’s passion was ensuring                                                      small retail shop. Another building         of satisfied customers, nor would we
the success of his gardening customers,                                                   houses a separate division, Veseys          have been able to expand our product
and he was always cautious that the                                                       Equipment, which sells large com-           offering to the thousands of items we
company didn’t get too big, so that the                                                   mercial machinery to golf courses,          now have on offer.”
many details of running the company                                                       municipalities, and parks in Atlantic          While the array and number of
were never overlooked.”                                                                   Canada. The property also includes a        items in the catalogue grew over
   Arthur fell into the business rather                                                   shipping facility for seed-catalogue
organically. A market gardener, he                                                        items, and indoor and outdoor areas
was keenly interested in procuring and                                                    for research and seed trials. Bulbs
testing vegetable seeds to determine                                                      are packed and shipped twice a year
which varieties best suited the region’s                                                  from a 28,000-square-foot building at
short, cool, growing seasons. Friends                                                     a nearby industrial park.
                                           John Barrett – director of sales, marketing,
and neighbours, noticing Arthur en-        and development – has been with Veseys            Veseys employs about 75 full-time
joyed better growth and yields than        for 22 years. He is one of many employees      staff members, with that number
they did, asked if he would buy extra      who have logged decades at the company.        reaching around 100 during the busy
for them when ordering his seeds.                                                         seasons. Many employees have been
This prompted him to establish a retail    offering home and commercial garden-           with the company for several decades.
store in his home. Then, in 1939, he       ers an array of vegetable, fruit, flower,      “I’m still one of the newer people on
launched a 16-page, black-and-white        and herb seeds, spring and fall bulbs,         staff, and I’ve been here 22 years,”
listing of vegetable seeds to which he     starting plants, and equipment. Orders         laughs Barrett. Bev, now into his
had access. Distribution was primar-       come in from customers in every Ca-            63rd year at Veseys, is still at his desk                                                 Packing orders for delivery by Canada Post in the mid-1960s. Baskets (see far right)
ily within his own little network, and     nadian province and U.S. state.                daily, with his son Gerry Simpson by        Arthur Vesey aboard a nifty little tractor.   are still used to gather items for orders.
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Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing
flagship retail store in Charlottetown.
                                                                                                                                        Although York is a mere 10 kilometres
                                                                                                                                        from the capital city’s downtown,
                                                                                                                                        many people consider it a trek into
                                                                                                                                        the country. “We’re kind of out of
                                                                                                                                        sight, out of mind,” says Barrett. The
                                                                                                                                        store would carry the entire product
                                                                                                                                        line, including the commercial power
                                                                                                                                        equipment, under one roof. It would
                                                                                                                                        also include a learning centre, with
                                                                                                                                        space for seminars and classes.
In the company’s laboratory, seeds are arrayed on blotters and placed in a machine that mimics daily light and temperature changes,        Another ambition is to refine the
to determine germination rates.                                                                            (Nicole Kitchener photos)    company’s wholesale division, which
                                                                                                                                        currently sells seeds to 31 stores in
pany’s bulb trade is generated from          rate and a certain yield per acre, and        Another rumour circulating was that          Atlantic Canada. “It’s not the most
its fundraising program. With the            you don’t get that, it’s the difference       the seeds were genetically modified.         organized program,” Barrett acknowl-
volume of bulbs Veseys purchases,            between your farm turning a profit or            The criticism certainly didn’t thwart     edges.
it can offer non-profits, schools, and       whether you’re going to the bank.”            the promotion, which survived and               In the meantime, Veseys is com-
other organizations a higher margin             However, the benefits trickle down         thrived. Changes for 2019 include            memorating its 80-year milestone
than many other fundraising programs         to Veseys’ largest customer base, the         expanding the campaign across the            in a few ways. A contest for bulb-
– 50 percent of total sales. There is no     home gardeners. “It’s a little upside         entire Cheerios line, and a departure        catalogue purchasers was rolled out
charge for the special bulb catalogue        down,” remarks Barrett. “We do all            from wildflowers. Instead, Veseys            last fall, and this April the winners
or other materials and support for           this extra work and go to the expense         will produce 520,000 packages of sun-        will enjoy an eight-day, all-expenses-
groups that sign on.                         for a small portion of the business. But      flower seeds. Barrett, who formerly          paid river cruise during tulip season in
                                             you have to look at our roots, right?         owned a 50-acre sunflower farm in            Holland. Another initiative has been
    TESTING AND TRIALING                     Arthur Vesey and Bev Simpson were             P.E.I. before landing at Veseys, says        the naming of two new tulip varieties
   From the beginning, testing of            commercial produce growers. And as            bees are attracted to the plant.             in honour of Bev and Shirley Simp-
seed and plant varieties has been an         long as their heritage continues, we’ll          “No one can have any issues with          son’s mothers – a huge undertaking,
imperative. Field trials are conducted       always have that emphasis, even if it         regards to invasiveness, because the         requiring various registrations and
on every type of seed offered for sale       is a smaller part of the business.”           sunflower is an annual,” he points           approvals.
or under consideration, says Barrett.                                                      out. “It’s an easy flower to grow,              Perhaps most notable is the spe-
In the laboratory, certified technicians              BEE PROMOTION                        everybody loves them. So we’ll see           cial 2019 seed catalogue. Instead of
test for germination rates and quality.         Veseys also produces customized            what the reaction is.”                       the usual flower or vegetable photo,
   “We only sell to the Canada num-          seed packages for various organiza-              Barrett admits Bring Back the Bees        the cover features an illustration
ber-one standard set by the govern-          tions, corporations, and events such as       isn’t a huge money-maker for Veseys,         by Canadian artist Kerry Hodgson,
ment. We self-impose that standard           weddings. This aspect of the business         but he says it’s great publicity. “We        commissioned to commemorate the
on ourselves. That’s why every lot           led to one of the company’s most sub-         like having our name on a million            company’s rich heritage and history.
of every seed that comes in to us runs       stantial endeavours. In 2016, Veseys          packages of seeds, with our name, our        The unique image has elicited such a
through our lab for a whole series of        partnered with General Mills Canada           address, and our website on millions         response, 100 limited-edition posters
tests. All that information is recorded,     on a national campaign called “Bring          of boxes of Cheerios. It heightens           have been produced for sale.
and if that seed isn’t up to the standard    Back the Bees,” centred around North          our visibility. Plus, we genuinely are          What would Arthur think of Veseys
we want, we won’t sell it.”                  America’s dwindling bee population            concerned about the whole bee thing.         eight decades after his first modest
   Testing and trialing is mainly for        and the Honey Nut Cheerios brand.             There is a deep-rooted concern there.”       catalogue was created? “He’d be very
the benefit of Veseys’ commercial cus-       Consumers were directed to a website             Veseys has maintained a conser-           excited. He was a very progressive
tomers – ranging from large operations       where they could sign up for a free           vative approach to expansion and             guy,” says Barrett.
such as Nova Scotia’s Oxford Frozen          package of Veseys’ specially formu-           growth, and one of the company’s                Adds Bev, “His memory will live on
Foods, to smaller growers selling at         lated “bee friendly” wildflower seed          strengths is its self-reliance. Other than   by the standards we set for ourselves
farmers’ markets.                            mix.                                          the printing of catalogues by Ottawa’s       each day.”
   “If you buy a package of carrot seeds        The promotion generated some               Lowe-Martin, and product coming in
and you plant six feet in your backyard      bite-back from critics in traditional         from various sources around the world,       (Nicole Kitchener is a freelance jour-
and you don’t have the greatest suc-         media and social platforms during             the company doesn’t “depend on any-          nalist and photographer whose work
cess with them, well, it’s not the end       its first couple of years, especially         body for anything,” says Barrett. “We        mainly revolves around animals and
of the world,” Barrett says. “If you         after expanding into the U.S. market          kind of control our own destiny.”            rural life. She lives on a small farm
just bought enough seed to plant 100         in year two. The main complaint was              That destiny could include a couple       in Prince Edward Island with her
acres of carrots, and your livelihood        that the seeds were non-native species,       of plans currently under discussion,         husband, eight horses, a dog, and far
depends on a certain germination             and therefore potentially invasive.           one of which is the creation of a            too many cats.)                       •
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Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing Veseys - eight decades strong and still growing
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