November 25, 2007
Kobes Nurseries History
The story of Kobes Nurseries begins in the Netherlands, with a family passionate about plants. Following the tradition of the two generations before him, Henk Kobes began pursuing a career in horticulture. Upon graduating from the Royal Horticultural College in Boskoop, Holland in 1951, he immigrated to Canada and soon found work in his chosen field. He spent the first ten years in his new country working in the garden centre and landscape industry.
In the early 1960s, while working for Rundle Garden Centre in Oshawa, Henk began growing nursery stock part-time on rented land. In 1963 he ventured out on his own and founded Henk Kobes Nursery Ltd. Eventually he purchased 27 acres on Old Scugog Road, just north of Bowmanville, site of the current Kobes Nurseries. His focus was growing and selling quality woody plants to the garden centre and landscape trade. Henk's son, Ben, would later enter the business, following the example set by his father.
Like Henk, Ben Kobes entered the nursery business gradually. At the age of 18, he began learning the business at nurseries in Ontario and British Columbia. He followed his on-the-job training with studies in horticulture, which he completed in 1985. Ben then started growing his own stock on rented land. While he began building his business growing shrubs and evergreens, Henk gradually sold off his stock while continuing to grow shade trees. Ben later took over the shade trees as his father entered retirement, and incorporated his own business, Kobes Nurseries Inc., in 1997.
Kobes Nurseries has been growing steadily ever since. Ben purchased his first 88-acre farm to start the business, adding 100 acres in 2000 and another 150 acres in 2004. The services he provided grew in tandem with the expanding acreage. A delivery service was added. In an effort to fill all of his customers' needs for standard and specialty items, he began sourcing material from other nurseries and greenhouses. In addition to field-grown shade trees, shrubs, and evergreens, he increased the offerings of his business to include container-grown shrubs and evergreens, perennials, grasses and vines.
Kobes Nurseries has a proud heritage, as family tradition and the modern approach of new generations combine to provide high-quality product and excellent customer service.