The Espoma Company Celebrates Steady Growth with New Headquarters

Executives and employees of The Espoma Company joined local officials and special guests in a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the company’s new 12,500 square foot headquarters in Millville. The Espoma Company is the largest manufacturer and marketer of organic lawn and garden fertilizers in the United States.

“Since our last expansion in the 1990s, we have grown from being a regional supplier to becoming a national leader in the retail lawn and garden industry,” Jeremy Brunner, vice president, and fourth generation leader for the private, family-owned company said. Brunner’s father, Serge, and his great uncle, Dean Sanders, preceded him in managing the business. “While Holly-tone is our most recognized brand, we’ve branched out into over 70 products ranging from fertilizers to potting soils,” he explained.

The new facility is located in Millville, adjacent to existing company structures used for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. The company’s original headquarters was built in 1960 and underwent two expansions to accommodate the office space needed to conduct the business. Designed to offer a welcoming space for employees and visitors, the headquarters is also aligned with the family’s commitment to sustainability.

Brunner said, “My family not only operates an organics company, we also take pride in utilizing recycled waste streams, sustainable products, and conserving and augmenting our energy sources.” The solar energy system the company installed in 2010 covers over 43,000 square feet of its warehouse roof in Millville. Brunner estimates the renewable energy produced by the system to power their entire plant is the equivalent of what’s needed to power at least 60 homes for a full year. He noted that the system saves more than 1.4 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually and its carbon dioxide reduction is the equivalent of planting nearly 1.7 million trees.

The Espoma Company’s new headquarters features many sustainable design factors including an oxygen-producing Living Green Wall. This wall, made up of 672 potted plants, is irrigated by a controlled, conservation-focused drip system. As they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, the plants improve the air quality and conserve energy by absorbing sunlight among other advantages. The facility also utilizes high efficiency LED lighting, and Energy Star-rated insulation and roofing materials.

The new headquarters, and its many sustainable features, come together to provide a comfortable work space for current and future employees. In total, The Espoma Company employs as many as 50 full- and part-time workers. Many employees have served the company for more than 30 years. According to Brunner, the objective to continually grow the business at a pace that’s steady, manageable, and profitable have paid off. “By always reinvesting our profits back into our business, we’ve been able to maintain and achieve state-of-the-art facilities and operations that are unrivaled in the industry.”

Blending and packaging operations at The Espoma Company are considered to be the best in the industry, Brunner says. “Our team can produce over 80,000 fertilizer products across 5 packaging lines in a single shift,” he explained. Brunner said this is notable when compared to other manufacturers in the marketplace who still rely on manual packaging. “We’re completely automated. All our advanced fertilizer manufacturing, production, and distribution operations are performed right here in Millville and have been since 1929,” Brunner added.

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