By Robert Golden

Mar 5, 2008 2:52 AM | Link to this

The Pike Family is to blame for the recent failure of the company.

The Home Depot and Lowes are home improvement centers, with gardening departments and they are NOT garden centers or retail nurseries. The ONLY reason they have a gardening department is to attract people to their stores. Why. They know that gardening is the number one outdoor activity. The Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sears, Target, and other national chain stores, use plants as a loss leader item to draw people into their store to purchase other item while purchasing plants. They price their plants at or even below their cost to attract customers. They do NOT care really what the plant look like, good or poor. If it fits the price point, it fits their needs. Pikes tried to fight the chains on price a long time BEFORE the Pike Family sold to Roark. Time proved that was stupid strategy. They needed to focus on a higher quality product, better customer service, education, and selection.

Pikes has never been regarded as a high quality garden center or retail nursery. Never. There are many better real garden centers in and around Atlanta to choose from. The real shame is that Green Brothers Nursery is no longer in business in Atlanta. In days gone by, that was THE garden center chain for real serious gardeners in Georgia. Do not cry for the Pike Family, their money is in the bank.

Robert Golden

By jmcclendon

Mar 1, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this

I came across this article last night and it was one I had not seen yet.It was a strange article sounding as if every single item down the paper clips would be auctioned off. This article must have scared the daylights out of the employees as it too must have been the same one that sparked the spree of gift card usages. We now know that (god willing the judge lets the sale actually go through)better times are in store if you are a gardener or employee for the most part. There is on one half an outstanding garden center in Armstrong's taking over a great company and an outstanding group of people. On the other hand you have a sad situation of a divided wholesale exterior, interior and stone center lines of business which now looks like sliced pizza. Employees there seem lost even if only for the moment. I hope all can play out well for them.
Having said those things I must point out that I am a former employee of over 15 years that held many different leadership roles with the company. It was my love for the company and many who worked for, with of above me(not pay)that made me proud to be with that group. I must admit that even as happy as I am today with the awesome team I work for, I am jealous of and for the folks who will get to move on with Pikes under a new direction. I must also say that my first love for the company came as a 4 year old boy being pulled around in a little red wagon at Pike #2 in Marietta. My mom would let me get what ever I wanted to help her plant. We did that until I was in high school (not the riding in wagon part of course). So this means a lot to me.

What an outstanding company Atlanta and Charlotte gardeners and Pike retail employees are about to witness. I just can't wait to see those garden centers full again. I hope know that I can continue on saying I am a true life time customer.

Having said all of this please pray and think of those who may still not know there fate in wholesale, support center and esp. all of those at the Birmingham location.

By zebedee

Feb 26, 2008 11:06 PM | Link to this

Yes, Mr. Schnell's greatest achievement was having everyone change offices and taking down 50 years of history from the hallways so we could learn "to fight better" and forget our past. Deck chairs on the Titanic. I guarantee you if Mr. Pete Pike was still in charge, this would not have happened.

By zebedee

Feb 26, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this

While I do not believe the bankruptcy to be the direct "fault" of their current CEO, it is crystal clear that Mr. Schnell's leadership was not too far removed from the analogy of "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic" and promoting disunity rather than a sense of team. That is why most of his senior team left within weeks of his arrival. Was the bankruptcy his "fault?" No. Could he have led or continue to lead this company to prosperity? No way. An auction may be the very best thing to revitalize this once great company.

By Chris

Feb 26, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this

I can tell you if you need a great Nursery to find quality plants and sod. You need to visit Buck Jones Nursery in Woodstock, GA. They have great prices and their customer service can't be beat!!! So long Pikes and HELLO BUCK JONES!!!!

By Chris

Feb 26, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this

I can tell you if you need a great Nursery to find quality plants and sod. You need to visit Buck Jones Nursery in Woodstock, GA. They have great prices and their customer service can't be beat!!! So long Pikes and HELLO BUCK JONES!!!!

By plantperson

Feb 26, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this

Mayor Shirley Franklin has said "No watering allowed" so the future of Pikes and other businesses is still in jeapardy. As Atlanta continues to clear 50 acres of vegetation every day, we should be encouraged to plant MORE trees and plants instead of being banned from doing so. Governor Perdue said the drought was "man-made" in a speech he gave while on the shores of Lake Lanier, talking about how much water was released from the dam every day. What a shame that innocent businesses continue to be the sacrificial lamb to this political fiasco.

By E Ries

Feb 26, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this

It's really sad that family and locally-owned businesses are suffering more and more, and Pike's is the lastest example. I'm new to GA, but the plants and materials I bought from them since arriving were always of good quality and the staff was helpful. Someone further up this thread mentioned how you can't even find anyone at Lowe's or Home Depot if you need assistance...isn't that the truth! With Pike's out of action, it'll be the big chain stores taking over everything else (puke, puke). I guess pretty soon, if things keep going like this, it'll be "Walmart Nurseries" nationwide...argh...!

By Chuck Uga

Feb 24, 2008 12:05 AM | Link to this

Home Depot and (to some degree) Lowe's sell plants that are root-bound. Some are nearly dead when they arrive at the stores. Pike's was never that much higher in price, and the staff always had knowledge of how best to plant them and grow them (heck, you can't even find an employee at Lowe's or Home Depot who has ANY knowledge). I guess I'll drive 30-40 miles outside the metro area to find a decent nursery now.

By employee 16

Feb 23, 2008 7:45 PM | Link to this

6:30 am get to work, turn on over head sprinklers. put money in the registers. open all gates. customers start entering parking lot. the rush of a spring saturday morning kicks in your a pike nursery store manager and the best gardeners in the state of georgia come in to buy the best plants available. I never did it for the money I did it because I believed in who I worked for and what I was selling. There will never be another Pike Family Nurseries. Thank all of the people who gave me a job and truley know what a real nursey can offer. May the horticultural gods bless us all.