J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. acquires Northwest Shade Trees

J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. announces the purchase of Northwest Shade Trees LLC, a grower of specimen shade, flowering and ornamental landscape trees. Operations at the 350-acre specimen B&B farm located near Salem will integrate with Schmidt production and sales cycles to become the sixth farm in the JFS nursery family and increase the company’s growing grounds to more than 3,000 acres.

Announced by Schmidt CEO Ben Rough, the acquisition will combine the tree growing expertise and 75-year legacy of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. with that of Northwest Shade Trees, a nursery founded by Schmidt family members and key employees in 1973. Known for producing the finest caliper trees in the region, the Brooks, Oregon, operation provides larger caliper, landscape-ready trees to customers on the West Coast and eastward to Colorado.

“Northwest Shade Trees will continue to produce and sell caliper shade trees under its well-known and highly respected name,” Rough said, noting that overall sales and production will be directed by the JFS management team, with caliper tree sales functions continuing at the Brooks office. The additional acreage will facilitate expansion of the nursery’s conifer line, increase the depth of its caliper shade tree line, and expand its bareroot production.  

“The opportunity to acquire 350 contiguous acres with great soil and water rights does not come very often,” Rough said. “This purchase will allow us to provide the depth of product needed to better fulfill customer needs while supporting our land rotation goals that we take very seriously.

“The addition of the Northwest Shade Trees team of superb tree growers will complement the great team we already have at JFS,” he added. “We’re excited for the overall increase of product inventories this acquisition will provide and are positioned to maintain the high level of customer service and quality production expected of our nursery.”