Berlin Gardens a shining example of Holmes County's ability to prosper

Local economic growth is one reason Holmes County continues to be a vital, growing community. Hard work and attention to detail are two of the key components in any successful company.

Berlin Gardens continues to be a valuable resource in promoting all of those ideals.

Berlin Gardens doesn't sell retail locally. The Berlin-based company is a wholesaler, and has built a fine reputation that has seen retail customers come from all over the United States and even beyond U.S. borders become purchasing partners.

Recently, the local manufacturer of outdoor furniture held its annual BGSeminar 2016 Feb. 2-3, and a host of retailers from near and far gathered to learn more about the products Berlin Gardens will be unveiling for the 2017 outdoor furniture season.

And while Berlin Gardens does not sell retail locally, what it does do for the economy in Holmes County is employ a large number of people, and in the process of manufacturing high-quality outdoor furniture, it continues to be a foundation business in the local economy, mainly because, like so many companies in Holmes County, it has committed itself to providing quality product, great service and utilizes the talents of quality people. The company employs more than 110 people.

People might be surprised to find out that Berlin Gardens provides furniture all over the nation, and even into other countries like Canada and Spain.

In typical Holmes County style, Berlin Gardens has made a commitment to dealing with a lot of family-owned businesses rather than delving into dealing with the big box stores. Connecting with those family-operated companies is why this seminar is so vital.

“It's a kickoff for the spring season for all of our retailers, and allowing them to take a look at what we have coming up is important,” said owner Sam Yoder, who purchased Berlin Gardens from former longtime owner Atlee Raber several years ago.

“It's a nice kick-start to the spring season,” Yoder said. “But most importantly, this is one way of giving something back to the people and businesses who have been so loyal to us over the years. It's about continuing to build those relationships that are so important.”

Steve Miller, Berlin Gardens marketing manager, said those relationships with smaller businesses are extremely important.

“We deal with so many family-owned businesses, and for the most part, that is who we want to cater to,” Miller said. “For us, it is the best way for the end-customer to receive the best service.”

The seminar included offering plant tours to retailers, providing some insightful keynote speakers and showcasing their many products, while also allowing Berlin Gardens employees to connect with the people with whom they deal on a regular basis. While Berlin Gardens does an annual show in Chicago, Yoder said some of the retailers were not able to see what they are creating there, so this affords them an opportunity to do so.

Yoder said Raber began the seminar decades ago, and the company has grown a great deal since those earlier days, including a huge new building located on Township Road 359 in Berlin. According to Miller, they have more than 300 dealers nationwide that purchase from them. He said that product training for their new structures and furniture products is part of the focus during the seminar. They also introduce new items for this year and for next year, and most importantly, they reach out to dealers to find out what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong and how the dealers feel Berlin Gardens could make gains in dealing with their retailers.

“It's very important for us to get their input, what they would like to see, what kinds of new products they feel would be beneficial and different design ideas,” Miller said. ‘We want to get the heartbeat of our dealer base. If they are looking for certain items, we want to get that on our list of things to do.”

In addition to the pipeline of information, Berlin gardens also awards its top 20 retailers for the past year, plus they introduce all of the new dealers who joined them during the past year.

This year's keynote speaker was Howard Partridge, a business coach who spoke about retail sales techniques and how to build relationships in the market. Miller said they had heard him speak before and felt that his message would be one the dealers would embrace and learn from.

“We also provide a questionnaire and ask our dealers who they would like to hear and what topics they would like to learn more about,” Miller said.

Like so many area companies, Berlin Gardens continues to create employment for hard-working families, generate income and serves as a key component in the economic growth that continues to blossom in Holmes County.