Westerlay Orchids Leases New Greenhouse

Westerlay Orchids (courtesy photo)

By edhat staff

One of the nation’s largest orchid growers, Westerlay Orchids in Carpinteria, has leased a new 4-acre greenhouse. 

The company is expected to expand its business in national distribution from 3 million to 4 million plants by 2021, according to Brian Sparks of Greenhouse Grower.

“We are thrilled to grow our operation and presence in the Carpinteria community, which has supported and sustained us from the beginning,” said Westerlay Orchids President Toine Overgaag. 

Company founder Joop “Joe” Overgaag had been a greenhouse farmer in the Netherlands before immigrating to Carpinteria in 1978 his wife and four children. He built his first greenhouses by hand, salvaging oil pipes from the local industry for the frames, and opened Westerlay Roses, named after the Westerlee vegetable auction in Holland.

Within 20 years Westerlay Roses had grown to 800,000 square feet on several coastal Santa Barbara properties and distributed millions of cut flowers. However, they couldn’t fill the orders quickly enough to take on new customers and the international rose competition was looming. 

Joop’s son Toine rejoined the Westerlay team and created a five-year transition into orchids culminating in their first crop of cymbidiums in 2003. Westerlay Roses became Westerlay Orchids. Toine took over the company in 2009 where it eventually doubled in size while maintaining sustainable growing practices and supporting local causes.