Every year, hundreds of thousands of poinsettias in a variety of shades, from deep red to creamy white, brighten our Meijer stores before customers carry them out by the armfuls.
For more than 60 years, these perfect holiday decorations and gifts have come from a single grower committed to providing the highest quality plants for our customers: Masterpiece Flower Company.
The Byron Center, Mich.-based company delivers West Michigan-grown potted plants – from poinsettias in the winter to hanging baskets and Easter lilies in the spring – in massive shipments to each Meijer store twice a week, year-round.
Meijer began its partnership with Masterpiece in 1961 when the Thrifty Acres supercenter in Grand Rapids purchased geraniums for its garden center. That same year, the company began supplying poinsettias sold in the Meijer store for Christmas.
Although these popular plants have a beautiful presence, growing high-quality poinsettias is in fact, challenging and takes much time and care. Masterpiece receives its poinsettia cuttings from Mexico in July and propagates them in a very hot climate in its greenhouse. Managing the environment when the plants are starting is crucial.
Paul Bouma, partner of the third-generation, family-owned company explains, “We grow our poinsettia crops on average for a duration of 14-18 weeks to deliver a full, robust plant to Meijer, and that is why we start them in the middle of summer. We offer the highest quality plants whenever possible. It’s worth the additional time and attention in the greenhouse.”
Bouma is the son-in-law of Henry Mast Jr., whose father, Henry Mast Sr., a Dutch immigrant, started the company in 1951 as a vegetable grower in the Grand Rapids neighborhood of Alger Heights. It is now located in Byron Township.
Along with poinsettias, Masterpiece supplies about half of its products in all Meijer Floral Departments. The company is also a vendor for cut flowers, which in recent years have grown significantly in popularity.
A key to the partnership’s success is commitment to quality and innovation. “We are able to challenge each other on ways to bring new ideas to life because the partnership is so sound,” said Ashley Collins, Buyer for the Meijer Floral Department, who works with Masterpiece.
“We trust each other,” Bouma said. “This trust creates a natural space for open conversations that lead to ideas on how to bring the best product to the customer. We dream big, ask each other questions, and most importantly, learn from each other.”
We thank Masterpiece for all that they do in making the holiday season extra special for our customers. We look forward to the next 60 years!