Plantpeddler Named ‘Small Business of the Week’ by Iowa Senator

Ernst names Plantpeddler (Cresco, IA) Small Business of the Week. | Plantpeddler

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, announced her Small Business of the Week: Plantpeddler of Howard County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.

“Shipping over 15 million plants each year, Plantpeddler has rooted themselves as the go-to small business for all horticulture needs,” says Sen. Ernst. “From garden mums to begonias, Plantpeddler serves 3,200 growers domestically and abroad, leafing an impact felt far beyond Iowa.”

After graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in horticulture, Mike and Rachel Gooder purchased Cresco Greenhouse in 1980 with plans to revitalize and rebrand it. The couple modernized the infrastructure, optimized production methods, and diversified the variety of plants grown, eventually renaming their company to Plantpeddler.

In 1984, Plantpeddler established a wholesale division, providing independent and middle-market retailers with a wide range of premium crops and plants. In 2001, they continued to expand and created a Young Plants division, positioning the business as a major propagator of vegetative genetics in the floriculture industry. In 2014, John Gooder, Mike and Rachel’s son, joined the company. John pushed for advancements in automation and genetic research, ultimately becoming part-owner in 2024. This June, Plantpeddler looks forward to celebrating its 45th anniversary.

“We are very proud to be recognized as Small Business of the Week by Senator Joni Ernst, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship,” says Mike Gooder, President of Plantpeddler.