Jul 26, 2017

McCorkle Nurseries Celebrates 75th Anniversary

McCorkle Nurseries, Inc., will celebrate its 75th anniversary in September.

The family-owned nursery business was founded in 1942 by C.S. McCorkle with his wife, Avice, and mother, Beatrice.

The founders’ two sons, Don and Jack McCorkle, now in their seventies, still have an active daily role in the family business while mentoring the third generation of McCorkle family leaders: Skeetter, Chris and Beverly.

After growing ornamental plants for a peach grower near Augusta during the Great Depression, C.S. McCorkle established a retail and landscaping business to serve the post-World War II building boom.

In 1977, the Augusta-based garden center was sold, and the focus shifted to growing and wholesale distribution from the family’s farm near Dearing, Georgia. Since the late 1970s, the company has experienced growth serving customers across seven Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.

Today, McCorkle is a supplier to numerous Lowe’s and The Home Depot locations as well as independent garden centers like Pike Family Nurseries. In addition to being a licensed grower for most major plant brands, McCorkle Nurseries launched its own line of top-performing plants, the Gardener’s Confidence Collection, which features more than 60 patented and trademarked selections.

In 2007, MNI Direct was launched to serve the professional landscape trade from four locations. The company also developed The Center for Applied Nursery Research in conjunction with the University of Georgia’s Horticulture Department. The center, located adjacent to the nursery, advances commercial nursery management practices and provides numerous successful plant introductions.

The McCorkle “family” has grown over the years to include about 200 team members. Over the years, McCorkle leaders have served in numerous roles in national and state industry organizations.