VanderSalm’s Flowershop has been in existence since 1910.
| It was founded by Jacob VanderSalm whose father, Jacobus, grew pansies on the same land where the present greenhouses are located. The first shop was on Wall Street (around the corner from the present store) just behind the home of Jacob and his wife Winnie. Jacob died in 1943, and his son Jim took over the store being joined a few years later by his brother Bill. A second store was opened in 1936 in downtown Kalamazoo (next to the Peregrine Towers building). The present store was opened in 1940. The downtown store was closed in 1941 because of difficulty in getting qualified employees during the war years. John VanderSalm, Jim’s son, entered the business in 1966 after completion of his education in horticulture at Michigan State University. |
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Edwin (Ned) VanderSalm became the fifth generation to join the business in 1996 after completing his education in horticulture at Colorado State University |
