The Mail-Journal, Volume 29, Number 7, Milford, Kosciusko County, 28 March 1990 — Page 40

PROGRESS EDITION — Wed., March 28,1990

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Clayton Garden Center's drawing card is quality

Eldon Clayton, whose business suit is bibbed overalls, started his business in 1956 when people were unfamiliar with a garden center. Today, year-round garden centers are a common sight, with Clayton’s Garden Center being among the best. Customers come from all around northern Indiana for their lawn and garden needs. Clayton’s reputation of being the best grower is one the 75-year-old owner is “quite proud of.” , In addition to being a good grower, Clayton’s drawing card is quality. “We don’t sacrifice price for quality,” commented Clayton. The motto at the garden center has been “Everything for the lawn and garden,” With over 7,000 square feet of growing space, Clayton grows a lot of his own plants, including bedding plants and geraniums. Clayton, who oversees the greenhouse personally, does the hanging baskets available at the center. He commented that he has made up to 1,200 hanging baskets in a year. His specialty is petunias. Business has grown, allowing Clayton’s to provide Lawn Boy push mowers, Echo chain saws, trimmers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, Purina feed, and a large supply of pottery. Clayton’s is also an authorized service center for McCulluch equipment. The months from mid-March to mid-July are busy for the center, with several people preparing their lawns and gardens. But the work really begins in February, when the seeding of plants begins. The business then swings to plants and shrubbery, then to insecticides and pesticides before moving into the fall planting of bulbs and the holiday season. The singling out of a good selling item is hard to do. “It depends on the season,” Clayton remarked. Clayton started in a 18X24 foot room at the

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Lucas Realtors strive to offer personalized service

Lucas Inc., Realtors/Better Homes and Gardens has been serving Kosciusko County since 1974, with a branch office in North Webster becoming popular for its personalized service and relaxed atmosphere since its inception in 1976. “We’re the oldest real estate firm in North Webster which is something we take pride in,” commented Sally Doll, managing broker for the office. Located in the Palace of Sports Building, the North Webster office serves Webster, Tippecanoe, Ridinger and the Barbee Chain lakes, as well as surrounding communities. The Lucas associates take pride in their knowledge of the area, going above and beyond the call of duty to satisfy buyers and sellers alike with their expertise as lakes specialists in the area. Describing her staff as “small, but mighty,” Doll noted that her office has four full-time realtors, including herself, as well as one part-time staffer. In addition to Doll, the Lucas office in North Webster is staffed by Debbie Singrey, Dick Mason, Becky Wilson, and the office’s newest member, Juanita Wagner. Secretary Ruth Schacht keeps the North Webster office running smoothly. Doll noted that Lucas Inc., Realtors staff members are very interested in continuing their education in the realty field with

current location on SR 13S, handling fruit, bait, and plants when they were in season. He grew his own strawberries, gladiolas, and vegetables, which were sold at the stand. Clayton started the business when being a farmer meant having so many cows and when the equipment prices increased. “I couldn’t see going into farming that heavy. I always wanted a garden center,” he said. From that small start, the business has grown to include 45,700 square feet of retail space, including the parking lot. With the selling of lawn equipment, a 20x50 foot storage and repair shop were added, as well as a nursery block. There is now 457 feet of frontage along SR 13. “We have the parking space for approximately 24 cars and a lot of times that isn’t even enough,” Clayton said. The business has grown “by leaps and bounds,” according to Clayton, who noted that as many as 12 persons are employed during the busy seasons, with Clayton managing the greenhouses and his grandson, Ed, managing the equipment and shrubbery. Eldon Clayton’s wife, Louise, is the company bookkeeper and also helps in the greenhouses and sales department. Elaborating on the company’s growth, Clayton said that business has gone to the point where peat moss and planting soils are bought by the semi loads for retail sale. “We used to buy 10 bags at a time, then pallets. Now we have to have semi-trailers come in,” he stated. Hoping to be around for a long time, Clayton noted that the business continues to grow. Every year the business has grown 10 percent above the year before, with the last five years witnessing an even higher growth rate. “We plan to be even bigger and better this year,” Clayton concluded.

seminars and workshops being common itinerary for the office staff. “We try to make our customers comfortable with a relaxed atmosphere and we really strive to help the first time home buyer feel comfortable,” stated Doll. She added that her office will also deal with FHA and VA loans to try and give home buyers all of the assistance that they can use to their advantage. Lucas Inc., Realtors, which is owned by Bud and Pat Lucas of Warsaw, also strives to contribute back to the area community, according to Doll. “We held a CPR course in February that had a good turnout and we are involved in numerous other activities in the area because we want to give to the community that we service, ’ ’ said Doll. Doll, who noted that her office has a fulltime rental agent, said that lake property is at a premium right now in the Lakeland area. “We have summer rentals as well as year-round ones available as well,” she added. The Lucas Inc., Realtors office in North Webster is open from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with expanded hours until 6 p.m. during the busy summer months. Additionally, Doll noted that Lucas agents can also be contacted at home to help answer questions for interested customers.