Bob van Wingerden has high expectations for 3-acre Roll-Air greenhouse |
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'This will help us get even more out of the spring season'
Catoctin Mountain Growers in Keymar, Maryland, is a leading producer of predominantly flowering bedding plants. In 2025, the American family business will celebrate its 40th anniversary. It will also be the first year that the new 3-acre (1.2 ha) Roll-Air greenhouse is in use. Founder Robert (Bob) van Wingerden is pleased with his state-of-the-art convertible greenhouse, which can help make even better use of the crucial spring peak.
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The history of Catoctin Mountain Growers dates back to 1985, when Bob van Wingerden and his wife Denise founded a modest nursery with a greenhouse of just 0.4 hectares. Through hard work, a focus on quality, and dedication to both customers (garden centers and retail chains) and employees, the company steadily grew to its current cultivation area of 23 acres (9.3 ha).
"We grow around 150 varieties of bedding plants, both in greenhouses and outdoors on container and tray fields," says the founding father. "Most of the work is now done by our children, but we are still actively involved in the business."
First encounter
The founders' continued involvement led last year to the construction of a new 3-acre Roll-Air greenhouse. Not a minor investment, but according to the experienced grower, it was well worth it. "The Roll-Air is a high-end convertible foil greenhouse—perhaps the best available on the market," he remarks. "We had been looking for this type of greenhouse for some time, but every brand had its drawbacks. Maintenance, in particular, can be a nightmare. That's why we hadn't gone ahead with it yet.
In early 2024, I visited the international plant fair IPM in Germany. At the Rovero booth, the Roll-Air was on display. I was impressed by the quality of the structure and the mechanism that opens and closes the roof. Cleverly designed and very solid!"
Bob took his impressions and the necessary documentation home to discuss them. Shortly afterward, plans for construction were finalized. A few months later, containers with structural parts and poly film from the Netherlands arrived in Keymar.
Transition between indoors and outdoors
The Roll-Air greenhouse serves a clear purpose: to produce even more quality plants during the crucial spring peak. "Plants don't always handle the transition from the relatively warm greenhouse to the container field well, where weather conditions can vary greatly," the grower explains. "In early spring, night frosts and precipitation are always lurking, which can impact growth and ornamental value.
Still, the plants must go outside at some point to harden off. With a convertible greenhouse, that transition can be made smoother and safer for sensitive varieties. From the glass greenhouse, they move to the Roll-Air to harden off and continue growing until they are either moved outside for good or delivered to customers. As long as the weather permits, the greenhouse remains fully open. In bad weather or low temperatures, you close the roof, and the plants are protected."
Less loss, better quality
The Maryland entrepreneur expects that better-controlled finishing and hardening off of their plants during the March-May period will result in fewer losses, better plant quality, and a more uniform product. "This will help us get even more out of the spring season. That's important because we achieve nearly three-quarters of our annual turnover in that short time," says Van Wingerden. "The Roll-Air greenhouse could significantly boost both revenue and margins. Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen, but I'm confident. Especially now that Rovero also has a good dealer in this part of the United States."
This article was previously published on April 7, 2025, on the Boom In Business website.
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