Celebrate longevity

Longevity is rare to find these days. People don’t work at the same job for their entire career the way they used to when a company pension was the norm. My kids are shocked when I tell them a TV show used to have 20 or 30 episodes in each season. They’re used to eight to 10. Household appliances break down much quicker than the ones made 50 years ago. From cell phones to dishwashers, planned obsolescence has become the way of the world.

So when your company hits a major milestone, make sure to celebrate it. Last month, I traveled to Oregon for the Farwest Show. You can learn more about my visit on page 10, but two of the highlights were attending birthday parties for two legends in the nursery world, Monrovia and J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. These nurseries celebrated 100 and 80 years in business, respectively, on the evenings of Aug. 26 and 27. It was perfectly timed for guests who could attend the trade show during the day and enjoy a few lovely Oregon evenings, chatting with folks at a nursery party. The J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Arboretum was decked out in a fun '80s theme and Monrovia’s display garden transformed into an event space that would make any wedding planner swoon.

“100 years is a long time to grow anything,” Monrovia president and CEO Jonathan Pedersen said at the event. “A tree, a company and a legacy. This anniversary, of course, is one for us to look back and think of all the craftsmen that came before us. It takes stock of the milestones, the plants and above all, the people that have helped Monrovia grow over that last century.”

J. Frank Schmidt III also thanked the people who made his family business so successful — the company’s employees and customers — acknowledging that this longevity would not be possible without them.

“Even though a lot has changed in 80 years, one thing that really hasn’t changed is our goal has always been to grow the best trees ever,” he said in his remarks during the celebration. “That goal could never have been achieved by our family alone … JFS is what it is today because of the people that have given their time and talent and hard work to the company.”

The common takeaway is to make sure to celebrate longevity, but don’t forget the people who helped you stick around so long.