Hicks Nurseries celebrates 170 years
Hicks Nurseries, Long Island’s largest garden center, marks 170 years of serving the local community this year. This sixth-generation family owned and operated business was established in 1853 by Isaac Hicks and has reportedly helped transform the landscape of Long Island through continuous innovation.
At the turn of the century, Hicks Nurseries invented and patented the equipment for moving big trees that were desired by Long Island’s new Gold Coast estate owners. Some famous estates include Vanderbilt, JP Morgan and Phipps (which is currently Old Westbury Gardens), and many of those trees still flourish today.
Around 1930, in another innovative move, Hicks Nurseries made pre-dug plants available for customers. This marked the beginning of the walk-in, cash-and-carry customer business that developed into what is now called a retail garden center. In the 1960s, with western Long Island’s evolution from a rural to a suburban community complete, the business was refocused to keep pace with the new generation of Long Islanders, and over the next 10 years converted the nursery into a thriving family-oriented retailing and growing operation that served hundreds of thousands of people each year. Seasonal experiences were introduced such as the Fall Festival and the Flower & Garden Show, highly anticipated annual events that have further expanded its customer base.
Today, the sixth generation Hicks family in the business includes siblings Stephen Hicks, who serves as president; and Karen Hicks Courts, director of human resources. Stephen led the launch of Hicks Commercial Sales (the wholesale division) in 2008, and the re-launch of Hicks Landscapes in 2011.
Very few small businesses make the successful transition past one generation never mind six. Hicks Nurseries has overcome many obstacles such as the Civil War, Great Depression, two World Wars and a global pandemic. It has been able to not only survive but thrive as an industry leader and a vital part of the Long Island gardening and landscape community.
“Our success stems from the ability to consistently offer our customers top-quality products along with expert advice to help them succeed,” said Stephen Hicks. “We have responded to the changing needs of the community and are focused on providing the very best shopping experience. We’ve built our reputation on that since the very beginning and continue to innovate with some exciting changes in the works.”
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