Stanislaus County nursery will expand with purchase of Ripon-area greenhouses
Dave Wilson Nursery, a leading producer of fruit and nut trees in the Hickman area, is buying the assets of Fredriks Nursery, near Ripon.
The purchase will provide Wilson with 13 acres of flower-growing greenhouses that will be converted to fruit and nut trees, the companies announced last week.
Fredriks has about 20 year-round and 100 seasonal employees at its South Austin Road site. They will be invited to apply for jobs with the new owner.
“We believe that the current skill set of many of the Fredriks employees is easily transferable,” said Bill Reid, chief executive officer at Wilson. It already has about 150 workers at its Lake Road headquarters and other operations.
The price was not disclosed for the purchase, expected to close in January. Wilson plans to sell its first potted trees from the Ripon greenhouses as soon as fall of 2020.
David and Glenn Fredrik founded their nursery in 1986. They have produced flowers, vegetables and other plants, distributed throughout Northern California.
“When the opportunity to sell to a fellow Central Valley family-owned business presented itself, it made sense for our family to sell at this time in our life,” said David Fredrik, the president, in a news release. “We believe that Dave Wilson Nursery will be a good partner here in Ripon, and we’re pleased by the local leadership.”
Dave and Isabel Wilson started their business in 1938 as a home and garden center just east of Modesto. It evolved into one of the world’s top producers of small trees for planting by commercial growers of almonds, walnuts, peaches, plums and a few other fruits. The company also sells shade and food-bearing trees for home gardens.
“For some time, our leadership team at Dave Wilson Nursery had their eyes set on greenhouse expansion to meet the growing demands of tree farmers,” Reid said. “... This has been a win-win because David wanted to sell and we’re looking to grow our potted division.”
