GRANVILLE, Ohio — In the early morning hours of March 15, Timbuk Farms owner Jim Gibson got a call saying his main production building was on fire.
“We lost that whole building which is about 30,000 square feet,” said Gibson about the devastating fire in the spring.
After crews battled the blaze, Gibson had lost transplant lines, loading docks, offices and about 10% of his overall tree production.
“Definitely was a challenging year. You know, we were insured, and you know that definitely helped us. From the minute it happened, we’re like ‘OK, we’re in crisis mode, let’s get this done’ and you know everyone pitched in and we’re lucky to have those resources,” said Gibson.
The farm covers 200 acres and Gibson said they harvest around 10-15,000 trees each holiday season.
Employees are also busy making wreaths on-site for sale at independent garden centers throughout the state. The family business that Gibson purchased with his wife nearly 20 years ago employs 60 full-time workers and supplies more than 100 vendors throughout Ohio.
Those visiting the farm this holiday season will notice the construction of a new 42,000 square-foot greenhouse garden center that opens next spring.
“We kind of made a decision after that, you know, to build the greenhouse across the street. Put the pre-cut trees in there. We’ll put the registers in there, so we’ll have a lot more room,” said Gibson.
With the unfortunate events of March behind him, Gibson said it’s time to focus on the holiday season, welcoming families and boosting the business’ bottom line.
“You know, we want kids to remember this place forever, so when 20 years down the road they bring their kids here. All our trees are sold within three weeks, and then it’s really the weekends. So 80 percent of our business is on weekends, so we get some pretty good crowds out here, especially the day after Thanksgiving,” said Gibson.
