Is there such a thing as “Christian entrepreneurship”? Mark and Renee Ebert would definitely say, “Yes!” They are the owners of Ebert’s Greenhouse Village (www.ebertsgreenhouse.com) in Ixonia, Wisconsin. In Part 2 of our interview we continue the conversation about what formed Mark, Renee, and their business. This takes us further into their history, and to the profound spiritual and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which changed the Eberts and the business they steward in Christ’s name and for His glory.
[00:00:00] Some employees came up and said, what are we going to do?
[00:00:03] I said, I don't know.
[00:00:04] But I do know one thing.
[00:00:06] God knows.
[00:00:07] So we're going to start praying.
[00:00:09] And that's where our prayer group started.
[00:00:19] Welcome to Christ in All Things, a conversation
[00:00:22] about meaning and purpose.
[00:00:24] It's based on a verse from the Bible, Colossians chapter 1, and Pastor Lance O'Donnell. Pastor Schachman is our sound engineer today, which is something he's adept at. God bless you. We're back here with Mark and Renee Ebert of Ebert's Greenhouse Village. And that first part of our conversation was fascinating. There was a bunch of stuff that happened off the air too, as we were trying to get ourselves settled and get some technical things done.
[00:01:41] But I'm, you know, I'm eager,
[00:01:42] you talk, you know, in terms of the things that formed you
[00:01:46] as a business, as Ebert's Greenhouse Village. in our backyard. He sold the fruit, basically cabbage, cabbage heads, outside of his station wagon. A lot of people won't remember this, but it was called National Grocery Store in Watertown, Wisconsin. Yeah. Royal Meats was right behind it, and he would set up in
[00:03:02] the parking lot. My brother, Alan You know we got pictures and those early years it It was a pretty pretty broken down farm the buildings were Not you know, they were in need of a lot of help and but he had an idea and it worked How long your your father died in the Lord sometime ago, right? How long ago was that my dad died in 2007 in?
[00:04:27] 2007 oh right before the economic crest. Yes Yeah, things are going really well and two thought I mean other than losing my dad. I mean sales wise things are going well for the business and then in 2008 We were planning on a bigger year and Just before we opened the doors when the recession took took place and I remember gasoline like almost $5 a gallon
[00:05:44] people
[00:05:46] definitely held back on their spending and
[00:06:41] I'm close. We are under glass or under plastic or glass.
[00:06:45] We're probably looking at, excuse my voice, 150 to 200,000 square feet.
[00:06:53] We also girl plants in what we call coal frames.
[00:06:56] They're like boxes outside that a lot of the heartier plants grow really well.
[00:07:03] And how big was the original greenhouse?
[00:07:05] Oh, oh, probably the freedom of doing what I want to do and working
[00:08:20] with my brother was a dream. We both loved Yeah, we did okay, but we definitely took a loss that season that took probably three or four years to dig out of. But we, the bank was good to us and we, you know, we... That's worth noting because there were banking collapses going on
[00:09:41] all over this country and all over the world. And your bank was of a con walk and I think it was right about that time. It might have been a little later we might have been at with the Exone Bank at the time but they were both very good to us and we got through it and we just started seeing daylight again like my brother and I were really5,000 in a line to buy the business. Yep, and that hit me pretty hard. And then it had to be about one month after that that he passed away unexpectedly. That was hard, very hard. How old was Ron when he died?
[00:12:22] 57.
[00:12:23] 57, yep.
[00:12:25] Yeah, and I joke to some of our employees, well, I'm never comfortable, so now that we did that, we're jumping in the ocean again and trying some different things.
[00:13:41] And it was right about that time when I sat at my desk,
[00:13:44] and the mail came, and David, you know, you can't put them on a shelf and bring them out two months later, they're growing. So if we would have been shut down, that would have been, that could have been the end of us. And, you know, all of that was going through my head and, you know, how we're going to do it.
[00:15:01] Some employees came up and said, what are we going to do?
[00:15:05] I said, I don't know.
[00:15:06] But I do know one I, my cousin, you know, we, we sat in the office in summer and just could not believe what was happening. And I told David, I said, we're going to keep going. We're going to ride this and we're, we, I got faith. We're going to, so we just kept going and we, all the things we wanted, my brother and
[00:16:20] I wanted to do for years and years, we, I just pulled the trigger and we just kept going.
[00:16:24] We put concrete walks in our trees and shrubs or the tree and shrub area. Yes, because I'd like you if you would in as much as you can, repeat back. And employee said something to you along the lines of what are we going to do? And what is it that you said again? I said, humbly speaking, I don't know.
[00:17:40] The only thing I do know is God knows and we're going to pray because that's the only thing
[00:17:46] that's going on? We talk about birthdays, whose birthday it is,
[00:19:00] and just listen now, we thank people.
[00:19:03] And then we move on, but before we move out
[00:19:07] of the greenhouse, I, you know, I get to tell David, I said, I don't care what people think of me. I'm gonna share my faith. So God has been.
[00:20:23] I remember, and I can see the look in your face.
[00:20:27] And I remember, you know, in being in a very similar place, I remember talking to you about this. And then, watching week one of the pandemic or week two offerings were up then, I think 11% here. Yeah. And then in week two, we were up like 60%.
[00:21:44] Yeah.
[00:21:45] That's amazing. your eyes getting big. And saying, all these people are coming out to get plants. You know, it was really something. We've never seen anything like that. Just people from all over and everybody was so thankful that we were open. Everybody would say, we're so glad that you're here and we can be outside and get plants and be able to
[00:24:07] lots of and in more private ways, recognize that God made all this happen for you.
[00:24:17] Yeah. One thing that I'm not sure if I should share this, but if you're not sure you can wait on it.
[00:25:44] It goes, I want to say it because it is pretty special, but where are those profits? We're barely, our sales are really good, but the profits are eaten up and we're having a hard time taking care of adding on and this and that. So after that, that was a good one wasn't it? That's going to come back to haunt me. From Ebert's Greenhouse Village in Exonia, Wisconsin, we are so grateful to have had this time with you.
[00:27:00] And thanks for spending it with us here on Christ in All Things.
[00:27:04] Thank you.
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