Fire at Green Circle Growers contained, business focuses on keeping operations 'running smoothly'

Updated 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20

A fire broke out at Green Circle Growers, one of the largest greenhouse operations in North America, after 5 p.m. Tuesday, and multiple fire departments near Oberlin, Ohio, battled the blaze for 10 hours, according to statement from Green Circle Growers released Wednesday afternoon.

The company's one-acre production barn and five acres of greenhouse structure suffered significant damage. The fire originated in an outdoor area used to store materials, but the cause is yet to be determined.

"Our primary concern was the safety of our employees and the firefighters. The firefighters did an excellent job in controlling the blaze despite high winds and freezing temperatures that made their job even more difficult," said Scott Giesbrecht, co-owner and VP of sales. "Thankfully, no one was hurt in either the fire or the process of putting out the fire, and the firefighters were able to minimize the damage through their efforts."

Giesbrecht said the Green Circle has "strategically built our greenhouses and production facilities to minimize the impact of events like this."

"In addition to having alternative production areas in other parts of the facility, we have great relationships with other greenhouses throughout the country if the need arises to have plants grown for us to satisfy our customers' demands," he said. "This fire, while a significant event, only impacted 5 percent of the growing space we use, and we are already working on preparations to repair this area."

Green Circle Growers has more than 100 acres of greenhouses and employs 600 people.

Greenhouse Management featured Green Circle Growers on the cover of its February issue, and reported that the successful company saw more than $100 million in revenue in 2012.

In his statement, Giesbrecht said he was "extremely thankful for the outpouring of support already from individuals and businesses in the surrounding community and across the country."

"We are also blessed to have a great team at Green Circle that is already working together to ensure any interruption of daily business is kept to a minimum. As we work through the next few days, we will keep our customer and industry partners informed of our progress in keeping their business running smoothly.”

Photo: From Left, Jason, Wes and CJ van Wingerden, and Scott Giesbrecht

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Original story published 9:45 a..m. Wednesday, Feb. 20

A fire broke out at Green Circle Growers, one of the largest greenhouse operations in North America, after 5 p.m. Tuesday, and multiple fire departments near Oberlin, Ohio, battled the blaze for hours, according to reports from several media outlets. 

WKYC Channel 3 in Cleveland, Ohio, reported that the fire was contained at about 6 a.m., and no injuries have been reported.

The Plain Dealer reported that firefighters from Oberlin and LaGrange, Wakeman, Camden and Florence townships responded to help contain the blaze.

Greenhouse Management featured Green Circle Growers on the cover of its February issue, and reported that the successful company saw more than $100 million in revenue in 2012.

Green Circle Growers has more than 100 acres of greenhouses and a five-year-old, 20-acre orchid facility.

Here’s a roundup of coverage from media outlets. Look for more updates as we learn more.

The Plain Dealer

WKYC Channel 3 

Fox 8 

The Chronicle-Telegram

Photo © Jerry Mann