In 2012, Osborne’s Agway added a third location to their family of home and garden centers across New Hampshire. Based in Winnisquam, NH, the then brand new space was built to provide both a place where customers could comfortably browse and to house Osborne’s variety of products, including plants.
The Osborne team needed a solution just as multi-purpose as their goals. We worked with them to identify the best greenhouse for the job: the Matterhorn. A greenhouse solution where aesthetics and durability meet, the Matterhorn is a popular selection for garden centers in need of space that’s as attractive as it is functional.
Shortly after the new Winnisquam location was officially up and running, we checked in with Tom Osborne, general manager of Osborne’s stores, to see how the Matterhorn was working out for their business.
Now, 8 years later, we’ve caught up with Tom once more, after he and his team opened the doors to another new garden center location—with another Matterhorn Greenhouse to get the job done.
Learning, Growing, And Expanding Across New Hampshire
With a growing need for room to house their inventory (organic and otherwise), along with enough space to spare for customers to browse at their leisure, the Osborne team needed a greenhouse with the durability, strength, and versatility to endure the extremes of New England weather.
Naturally, we wanted to know how the Matterhorn had been holding up after nearly a decade’s worth of cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers at Osborne’s Agway in Winnisquam.
That’s why, when the team got in touch with us about another Matterhorn for their next store, we knew we had our answer. With dual capabilities as a retail space and a fully-functioning greenhouse, it was a solution that worked well for Tom and his team in Winnisquam over the past 8 years, one they wanted to recreate as they began planning their next location.
Of course, every new opportunity is an opportunity for growth—something Tom made a priority when planning Osborne’s newest location in Hooksett, NH.
Everything about the Winnisquam store that they liked, disliked, or wanted to improve played a role in developing the new Hooksett store. The Matterhorn was one of the elements Tom wanted to carry over to the new site—and with a few updates, Tom saw its potential to become an even more effective solution for his business.
“We made some adjustments based on what we liked about the Matterhorn at the Winnisquam store,” Tom said of the process “I think we’re even happier with the structure we’ve put up at the Hooksett store.”
Among those adjustments was the addition of an energy curtain and traditional vented fan system to expand the Matterhorn’s cooling and ventilation capabilities and better prepare their space for high summer temperatures in the Granite State. It’s an investment Tom is already seeing a return on.
“Even today, it’s actually cooler in the greenhouse than it is outside,” Tom mentioned as we spoke with him on a 90-degree day. “Having the fans going and the energy curtain drawn makes a huge difference. It’s definitely been a comfortable environment to work in and for customers to shop in.”
Welcoming New Visitors At A New & Improved Location
For Tom and his team, this project has been 10 years in the making, and an all-consuming focus over the past two years. Their previous location in Hooksett, originally opened by Tom’s parents in 1987, wasn’t ideal for visibility or accessibility.
But after purchasing land along a main road, where the facility could be easily spotted by passersby and with plenty of parking, the store found a new home.
At this prime location directly off of Route 3, Tom and the Hooksett store team are certainly staying busy while keeping up with the much-welcomed foot traffic. They’re happy to report witnessing first-hand the recent surge in farming and gardening interest, with a number of hobbyists visiting their stores in search of new ways to pass time at home.
Learn more about all three Osborne’s Agway stores across New Hampshire and plan your visit here!