5 Minutes With … Melinda Koetsiers
Melinda Koetsiers is the social media, events and marketing director at Koetsier’s Greenhouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What brought you to the green industry?
I married into it! Koetsier’s Greenhouse is a 100-plus-year-old family business. It’s not what I studied for in college, but I love it! I grew up literally right around the corner from our greenhouse and even went to preschool with my now-husband — we started dating when we were in college and I started working for his dad at the greenhouse. The rest is history! I always joke that we didn’t get very far in life — I grew up around the corner and we are living in the house my husband grew up in. Wouldn’t change a thing.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love making customers happy! We want our greenhouse to be a place where people can feel comfortable, happy and known — a place they can sit or stroll through with a cup of coffee and relax. I love it when our customers say, “Hey, Mel!” They know me either from me helping them with plants, at a class or from social media. Our staff is really good at spending time with customers and making them feel welcome. To be in a business that makes people happy is so rewarding. The best is when we first open in the spring, after a cold winter. Their faces just light up and they all sigh, “Ahhh.”
As a family business, how do you separate the family part from the business part?
That’s a hard one, as most people with family businesses would agree. In a way, we can’t separate it; it’s kind of who we are. Plus, it’s in our backyard, which can be really good and really hard. You can be home for meals and when the kids need something, but it’s also easy to sneak back in there when you could be at home.
Being seasonal helps. The spring season is intense and all-consuming, but then there is a break for the summer — and we look forward to that family time — then another break after the winter holiday season. As our kids grew up, my husband and I made sure that, whenever possible, we attended their concerts, games and school functions. I hope we did OK!
If you weren’t in this profession, what would you be doing?
My husband and I laugh about this because we talk about what we would do if we ever sold this place — what would we do? We both thought we would start a little place, a little greenhouse, a few more animals. … I guess we are in the right business.
What’s something few people know about you?
I am obsessed with watching Korean dramas! The storylines are so much better than anything on U.S. television. I actually found out one of our longtime customers loves them, too. That was so exciting — someone else who understands!
Favorite plant to grow?
I have two: I love echinacea — I have a whole garden of them. What’s not to love about a plant that comes back every year, has so many different varieties, and that you can use for cut flowers? My favorite annual flower is definitely the begonia Whopper series or the Proven Winners begonia series Surefire. I have them all over my yard in containers. They just look spectacular all season long. They flower all summer with minimal care and can take full sun to shade.
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