Meyer’s Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony One Year After Fire
By Leah Williams
November 17 now has two significant meanings for one local business — the anniversary of a fire and how the retail business was able to bounce back.
A ribbon cutting was held at Meyer’s Greenhouse & Nursery on Tuesday. The event was attended by friends, family, Nashville Chamber of Commerce members, Mayor Raymond Kolweier and others.
Meyer’s Greenhouse & Nursery was established in 1968 by Roland and Loretta Meyer. After 44 years in business, the Meyers sold it to their daughter Shelby and her husband Cory Meier.
On the night of Nov. 17, 2019, Meier said she received a call from her mother about the fire. All of the fire was contained to the store area.
Reopening was something the Meier’s immediately knew they would do. Since the greenhouses weren’t impacted, Meyer’s opened doors for the holiday season less than two weeks after the fire with a temporary store setup in the main greenhouse.
The new design is more open, with a few changes sprinkled throughout the layout. There is a larger porch and more opportunity for people to navigate in and out of the new space.
“We are ready to get back to some kind of normal,” owner Shelby Meier said. “We were fortunate to stay open through the spring. Otherwise I don’t know what would have happened.”
Meier said the year has been challenging, through the construction, the restrictions from the pandemic and then another hurdle when the business found out that their Christmas tree vendor lost a field of trees and could not fill their annual order. Luckily we found another source for trees.
“That was just another step,” she said. “Fire. COVID. And then my trees are canceled.”
Meyer’s Greenhouse will be hosting its Make and Take winter workshops, beginning Friday, November 27. There are two separate groups for adults and kids of all ages. Reservations are requested as there are limited spots available due to social distancing.
Meier said she is grateful for the continued support of the community.
Family members attending the ribbon cutting include husband Cory; daughter Tayler Schaeffer, son Trevor, who came home from college to make the event and grandsons Jaxon and Walker;
sisters Vickie and Jamie; parents Roland and Loretta Meyer; and employees Deb Tuttle, Daniel Siliven, Elizabeth Stein.
Above: A ribbon cutting was held at the newly renovated Meyers Greenhouse & Nursery on Nov. 16; First owners Roland and Loretta Meyer pose beside their original sign during the event. (Photos by Leah Williams).
