The organizing, planning, building and management skills Peter learned as an Engineer Officer in the Danish Army Corps of Engineers were essential to his successful journey in the horticulture industry and to Midwest Groundcovers’ inception and development. Peter achieved lieutenant rank in less than two years and cultivated leadership skills that would qualify him for his first job in the United States – a supervisory trainee at D. Hill Nursery Company in Dundee, Illinois. After a few months of training, Peter was quickly promoted to Superintendent of Propagation and served in this position for almost seven years.

The Midwest companies were built through the collaboration of many talented and dedicated people, and, in the early days, friends and family worked on weekends and evenings for wages of hamburgers and beer. Irma helped nurture the new company by utilizing talents acquired from her many years of business administration experience in Chicago, as well as her bookkeeping skills. Her dedication to fostering the growth of the new company was evident in her full participation in day-to-day nursery operations including potting plants, sticking cuttings, watering and mowing, while all the time caring for family and home.

Growth
Over the next forty years, Midwest Groundcovers truly became a company “Always on the Grow.” In 2008, annual production totaled nearly 13 million market ready plants produced by a seasonal workforce of 185 and a year round staff of 65. The original five acres soon became too small and in 1974, the Orums purchased fourteen acres a few miles north on Illinois Route 25. Through the years, additional acres were purchased and this land eventually became the 160+ acre St. Charles nursery facility. Until 2005, this site was home to Midwest Groundcovers production and sales, Midwest Trading and Midwest GROmaster.

By the end of the nineties, Kane County identified a large portion of Midwest Groundcovers’ land as critical for a regional bridge over the Fox River. This development required the Orums to give up nearly half of the St. Charles nursery. Today, 90 acres on Route 25 are home to Midwest’s sales and distribution headquarters and some remaining production. This acreage also houses the recently combined Midwest Groundcovers and Midwest Trading Sales Yard and updated landscape display beds and trial gardens.

Midwest Groundcovers’ St. Charles headquarters, sales, distribution and trial garden facility, completed in 1994, was planned and designed by landscape architect Christa Orum-Keller, daughter of Peter and Irma. Comprehensive site planning was completed with the help of key nursery managers and consulting engineers. The gardens were designed as an educational tool and create a beautiful outdoor classroom where customers and staff observe and analyze mature plants and trial and review new plant varieties. Plant examples feature inspirational and innovative planting design combinations through the proprietary programs of Midwest Systems® and Midwest Solutions®. Midwest Groundcovers is committed to ongoing product trials to promote and display plants for peak performance in tough Midwestern conditions. Learn more about the trial gardens here: http://mgdisplaygardens.blogspot.com

Product lines are continuously evolving to include a more diversified line of perennials, ornamental grasses, native prairie plants, shrubs and hardy landscape roses. A recent example of this expansion is the addition of Midwest’s newest line of ground covers, Jeepers Creepers®. Midwest Groundcovers is also a licensed grower of the first native plant brand program – the American Beauties Native Plants® Program. A portion of the profits from each American Beauties plant sold supports the National Wildlife Federation’s efforts to promote the development of backyard wildlife habitats.

Peter is also one of the green industry’s most recognized and dedicated advocates for immigration reform. During his tenure as the American Nursery and Landscape Association’s president from 2004 to 2005, Peter addressed the United Farm Workers Union at their convention in Modesto, California. His speech, an historic first for a grower, highlighted the vital importance of passing the AgJOBS bill in Congress – legislation that provides improvements in guest worker programs and facilitates a path for legalization of undocumented workers. Since this groundbreaking speech, Peter has continued to support, encourage and facilitate a comprehensive immigration solution.

In addition to his work on immigration reform, Peter is dedicated to promoting learning among the international horticultural community. During the early years of his career as a nurseryman, Peter became involved with the International Plant Propagators Society, a unique organization of practical plant propagators, growers and academics from universities and experiment stations. Many practices currently followed at Midwest Groundcovers derived from IPPS conferences and educational tours. As a result, Midwest employees involved with propagation and growing have become members of IPPS and have made numerous contributions.

Peter served on IPPS’s East Region Board in the 1980’s and served as the Eastern Region President from 1989 to 1990. Later, he served on the IPPS International Board and was International President from 1999 to 2000. During Peter’s tenure on the International Board, IPPS expanded into Japan, Scandinavia and South Africa.

Peter traveled in the Scandinavian countries as a roving ambassador for the IPPS and the organization’s establishment of the Denmark/Scandinavian IPPS Region was a direct result of Peter’s zeal for horticultural cognition and learning. In recognition of surmounting the many obstacles involved in establishing the first IPPS Region in the non-English speaking world and his numerous contributions to IPPS, Peter received the International Award of Honor at the International Conference in 2000.

In addition to his work with IPPS, Peter has contributed to a number of other organizations who promote global communication and the exchange of ideas among horticultural professionals around the world. In 1967, Peter initiated a program at D. Hill Nursery for hosting European exchange trainees. The first exchange trainees were Danish and worked through the offices of the American Scandinavian Foundation, Danmark-Amerika Fondet. Peter and Irma continued this program at Midwest Groundcovers through a partnership with The Ohio State University’s Exchange Program. This program has been overseen by Irma Orum for many years. Over the past 30 years, the exchange program has enabled over 100 young European horticulturists to work and learn at Midwest Groundcovers and other American nurseries and greenhouses and to learn more about the trade and American culture. Many young Americans have also worked at European nurseries as part of this program.

In yet another example of Peter’s interest in promoting horticultural partnership on an international level, during the 1980s, Peter helped form the Danish A-Plant nursery group. Through cooperation with the Danish Horticulture Research Station in Aarslev, the A-Plant nursery group became a conduit for the exchange of plants and information between Denmark and America. This partnership ultimately led to the establishment of a new plant development company, A-Plant 2000, ApS, of which Peter is the Chairman and President.

Midwest GROmaster
Through his connections with Danish growers and experts, such as Finn Aagaard of Aalborg, Denmark, Peter was able to bring Danish greenhouse growing systems to the United States and transform them into a business enterprise. In 1986, Peter established Midwest GROmaster with Aagaard as a partner. The company, which has offices and production facilities located in Virgil, Illinois, specializes in water recycling and irrigation systems for greenhouse growers including sub-irrigation, recirculation and fertilizer injection systems and manufactures of Ebb and Flow growing benches. All of these technologies were originally developed in Denmark and Holland, and are now widely available throughout the United States.

Midwest Trading
The creation of Midwest Trading is another example of Peter Orum’s business savvy and industry insight. When long-time peat moss supplier, J-M Trading, closed their Chicago warehouse in 1981, Peter sensed an industry-wide need for a company to supply horticultural grade growing and landscape products to nurseries, greenhouses, garden centers and landscape contractors. Through an arrangement with J-M Trading, the newly formed Midwest Trading began servicing local growers with Heveco peat moss, Heco greenhouse mixes and bagged bark. Midwest Trading also developed products such as bagged and bulk mushroom compost, tools and Quonset greenhouses. As the fledgling company grew, additional nursery and landscape products, such as nursery growing containers, greenhouse poly, edging, timber and other landscape supplies, were added to the ever-expanding product line.

In 1993, Midwest Trading entered the bulk mulch market and began supplying landscape contractors with bulk hardwood mulch. Robust business required expansion and a five acre site along the Illinois River in Ottawa, Illinois, became the new home to Midwest Trading’s bark operations. At this facility, barges could unload raw materials procured from mills in the southern states; then, processing equipment was installed to convert the raw bark into finished landscape mulch and growing mix ingredients. By the end of 1993, pine bark was being transported from the Ottawa facility for use in nursery mixes and Midwest Trading constructed its first soil mix facility in St. Charles. The following year, Midwest Trading began supplying nursery mixes to Midwest Groundcovers and other area growers. To accommodate increased business and production, the Ottawa facility expanded to 40 acres, which now includes a state-of-the-art bagging facility.

In the years since the company’s inception in 1981, Midwest Trading has developed a diverse and competitive product line and has become a major supplier of landscape mulch to the Chicago market. The mix facility has enabled Midwest Trading to develop engineered soils for landscape and nursery use. For example, Midwest Trading helped improve landscape planting success in cities by developing urban mixes specifically engineered for use in planters, medians and other urban environments.

In 1999, Midwest Trading became the first licensed producer of CU-Structural Soil, a patented stone and soil tree mix developed by Cornell University. This soil is specifically designed to provide a substrate capable of supporting walkways and roads, while still allowing root growth beneath the pavement. The expanded root zone improves tree growth and increases the success rate in urban settings where concrete would typically act as a coffin for new growth.

In 2000, Midwest Trading became one of the first suppliers and producers in the region to create and market growth media formulations designed specifically for use in green roof applications. Midwest Trading developed formulations that comply with the German FLL Standards (the German equivalent of our ASTM) by sourcing and blending substrates available in the United States. These standards are the culmination of 40 years of rooftop media development in Germany and outline the necessary characteristics and proper testing procedures for successful rooftop installations.

Product innovation and increased business required further expansion at Midwest Trading. In December 2005, Midwest Trading relocated to 35 acres in Virgil where they built a new office building, shipping headquarters and sales yard with room for growth. The most prominent feature at this new facility is the highly sophisticated, state-of-the-art, custom-designed growing mix plant that has the capacity to produce over 400 cubic yards of soil mix per hour. The unique Virgil facility supplies all three of Midwest Groundcovers’ nursery locations, counts many of the leading nurseries in the Midwest as customers and produces the engineered soils and rooftop media for numerous urban projects. Midwest Trading and Midwest Groundcovers also recently opened a combined sales yard at the St. Charles facility, making hardgood and plant pickup convenient for customers.

Through dedication to customer service, quality and product innovation, Midwest Trading is now one of the leading horticultural hardgood suppliers in the Midwest. Operations are directed by a senior management team that continues to strive for growth and excellence. This team includes Bob Cenar, President and COO; Craig Keller, Vice President and Comptroller; Ed Roloff, Operations Manager; and Mike Curry, Sales and Marketing Manager. Irma Orum serves as Chairman and Peter Orum serves as Vice Chairman and CEO.

While Midwest Groundcovers and Midwest Trading are and operate as separate companies, they often collaborate in green industry efforts. Together they sponsor a mile of Chicago expressway through the Gateway Green Expressway partnership program – an initiative to beautify the gateways into the city of Chicago. In conjunction with city and state government entities, Gateway Green spearheads the Expressway Partnership Program, a unique project that melds corporate and civic involvement to improve Chicago’s quality of life.

Green Initiatives
For decades, recycling, reuse and reduction of waste have been part of Midwest Groundcovers’ regular practices. Environmentally green habits such as Integrated Pest Management and water runoff recycling at production facilities are a way of life. Midwest reuses plant containers, recycles growing shelter plastic and integrates vegetated swales into production facilities. While most nurseries dispose of all covering plastic each year, Midwest is one of the few nurseries to reuse 70% of its covering plastic annually. Midwest works with recycling firms that recycle all non-reusable covering plastic and containers. Midwest facilities also collect and burn wood, office paper and cardboard using the heat generated to warm greenhouses for ivy, perennial propagation, woody plant propagation and sedum production. Organic nursery waste is composted at each nursery facility and is used in various growing operations.

In a further effort to integrate green practices and develop cutting edge product lines, Midwest Groundcovers entered the “Green Roof” market in 2000. Partnering with Midwest Trading and GreenGrid®, a modular green roof system, Midwest Groundcovers became a leading supplier in the emerging ecoroof market and has provided plants for green roofs on Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago City Hall, Millennium Park, Milwaukee Zoo and Target Inc., among many others. “Green Roofs” are just one example of Midwest’s commitment to environmentally responsible programs.

Looking to the future, Midwest has established an internal Green Committee to promote employee education, lead green initiatives within the company and serve the greater green industry. Peter currently leads a fuel and energy committee to research strategies for efficiently reducing energy costs and consumption for the future. This committee will explore a broad range of alternative energy sources, such as wind power and geothermal heating. They will analyze the economic and technological feasibility of vehicles powered by electricity and study the use of waste products for fuel.

The original Green Industry and the industry most interested in greening the earth, sends millions of pounds of plastic to landfills annually. To reverse that trend, Midwest Groundcovers is initiating the first Horticultural Container Recycling Program of its kind in Illinois, starting April 2009. “Midwest has come a long way in developing environmentally friendly operational habits, but there is always room to take one more step,” says Christa Orum-Keller. “By developing innovative sustainability programs, such as container recycling, we can effect positive environmental change throughout our green industry.” Visit MG Green: http://www.midwestgroundcovers.com/green_practices/default.asp

Another recent development in Midwest Groundcovers’ sustainability efforts is its patent-pending plant-combination system, Midwest Systems® and Midwest Solutions®. The concept is to analyze site characteristics – primarily light exposure, soil type and soil moisture – and coordinate a prescribed plant combination or mixture of plant varieties. The combination essentially creates a micro plant community or ecosystem that contributes durability and longevity, reduces maintenance and has a superior aesthetic effect in the landscape. Midwest System® and Midwest Solutions® are founded on ideas originally devised and implemented by Peter. “Since we grew our first ground covers, we have always promoted and worked with customers to help them plant the right plants in the right places,” says Peter. “This, in itself, is a practice in sustainability.”

These are just a few of the innovative initiatives on Midwest Groundcovers’ horizon. Midwest has transformed five acres of possibility into an industry leader whose dedication to quality, customer service, education and growth ensures a future filled with continued success. The Orum Family extends its deep gratitude to the dedicated and talented people who have helped build Midwest’s firm foundation to grow the business. We sincerely thank our many loyal customers whose business and partnership have created the Midwest of today. The Midwest Groundcovers family embraces its bright future as a company “Always on the Grow.”