J. Frank Schmidt III and his wife Barbara at the 80th anniversary celebration at J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. Photo by Jon Bell
If the folks at J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. were hoping for an ideal evening to celebrate the nursery’s 80th anniversary, they certainly got what they wished for the night of Wednesday, August 26.
Recent wildfire smoke had cleared to a fresh blue sky and Mt. Hood rose off in the distance out over the nursery.
“Tonight is about looking back with gratitude, but it is also about looking forward,” said J. Frank Schmidt III during his remarks at the celebration. “Our family ownership has always had the goal to continue to grow this nursery company into the future. We want to build on what Mom and Dad started 80 years ago and continue to make J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. something the next generation can be proud of.”
Making it 80 years in any industry is commendable, but maybe even more so in the nursery business. Frank and Evelyn Schmidt had just tied the knot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and driven across country back to Oregon in a 1946 Studebaker sedan. When they got here, they planted trees on 10 acres of land west of Troutdale, riding the post-war boom that created a huge demand for trees as new residential development sprung up around the country.
“The nursery and our family grew up together,” Schmidt said. “As kids, we worked in the fields during the summers, we weeded, we drove tractors, collected budwood, helped in the office, did more weeding. And of course, I worked the hardest.”
Eventually, JFS would expand to more than 3,000 acres across multiple properties, most in the fertile corner of northwest Oregon, but also out east in Milton-Freewater. For its first 40 years, the nursery was known for its bare root trees. Then in 1984, JFS pioneered a process for containerizing trees that helped extend the selling season.
Along the way, JFS also became a leader in developing and introducing new tree cultivars. It has introduced more than 100 new ones to the market over the years, including the wildly popular Red Sunset Maple, Royal Raindrops Crabapple and Redpointe Maple.
Schmidt himself retired about six years ago, handing the reins to now-CEO Ben Rough, but the business remains in the family and another generation is growing into the leadership roles.
“Even though a lot has changed in 80 years, one thing that really hasn’t changed is that our goal has always been to grow the best trees ever,” he said.
At the celebration event, Schmidt acknowledged that JFS continues to achieve that goal only because of a true team effort.
“That goal could never have been achieved by our family alone,” he said.“I especially want to thank all of our great employees, past and present, who worked hard through the years to grow and ship the best trees we could for our customers. JFS is what it is today because the people that have given their time and talent and hard work to the company.”
When considering the legacy of JFS, Schmidt said it was “just nice to know that we’ve created a lot of shade and beauty around the company.” He also said the company has been set up to transition to the next generation to “hopefully continue on forever.”
Rough, who joined the company in 2020 just at the COVID-19 pandemic was settling in, also spoke at the party before guests lined up to dine. He said he’s enjoyed the friendships he’s made and acknowledged the importance of relationships in ensuring the success of the nursery and the industry.