About Us
Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., Inc, began under Wendell Whitener’s leadership in the spring of 1989. Prior to the nursery’s existence, Wendell owned Wendell Whitener Landscaping Company, which he operated for seven years. In 1988, Wendell had a dream to open a retail garden center in addition to his landscaping business. He scouted for a place in Ooltewah and acquired a 5-acre lot at 5829 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road. The first item that the nursery stocked was white dogwood trees. Someone stopped and inquired about the place, and we sold a dogwood tree the first day they arrived. Right then, we knew that this company would be a success!
Next, we went in search of a name. We wanted a name that represented our town so we chose Ooltewah Nursery & Landscaping Company. We are proud of our name, because we are proud of this community. ONLC is a strong supporter of our local community including area schools, athletic teams, civic groups, and much more.
In 2003, ONLC built an 11,000 square foot retail showcase and office building. The building was constructed with green initiatives in mind. For example, you may have seen the roof of our flower showcase opened skyward on a hot day, this allows the release of built-up heat, and lowers our electricity consumption helping to decrease our carbon footprint. Also in 2003, ONLC expanded to fifteen acres of land and now has a retail operation with delivery service, and commercial & residential landscape & irrigation services.
Late in 2010, we performed an extensive customer satisfaction survey. The many compliments we received were so nice, but we really took to heart some of the great ideas our customers shared. We made numerous changes & updates in early 2011 as a result. We re-arranged our showroom floor for greater ease. We added new signage throughout the property to help you quickly find what you need. We installed lovely garden benches at strategic locations so you can stop and rest. We expanded our flower showcase an additional 11,000 sq. ft to bring you an even larger selection of color, because after all, it’s good to have choices! One big customer request was more educational opportunities. We began a Free Community Workshop Series in the spring of 2011. The series of workshops were offered as a free service to the community at large and were designed to be informational on a broad range of topics concerning gardening, lawn care, and landscaping. The workshop series was an immediate success, and has become a staple in the fall and spring with new topics for each current season.
Since our humble beginnings in 1989 with 5 acres and a few dogwood trees, ONLC has truly grown into a full-service garden center. We invite everyone to “…come GROW with us!”
