Bachman’s celebrates 140 years of business in Minnesota

Bachman’s Floral, Home and Garden, one of Minnesota’s oldest family-owned businesses, has been serving Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding areas since 1885.

The business will host 140th birthday celebrations at all retail locations and Cedar Acres from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14.

The celebrations will feature live music, food trucks, photo opportunities, door prizes, special giveaways and free birthday treats. The 28 Lunds & Byerlys Bachman’s retail locations will also have free special birthday treats on June 14 for the first 140 customers at each store.

“For 140 years, we have been honored to serve Minnesotans throughout all of life’s events, from births, to weddings, to anniversaries, funerals and everything in between, celebrating triumphs and providing comfort during challenging times,” said Susan Bachman West, CEO and president of Bachman’s. “We are grateful to our customers for welcoming us into their lives over the past 14 decades, and we look forward to continuing to be a part of the community for decades to come.”

In 1885, Henry Bachman Sr. started a vegetable farm on the family’s original homestead on Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis. He gave each of his five sons a portion of the garden to grow whatever they would like.

His son Albert decided to grow carnations for his mother, and he would also sell them at the cemetery across the street. Albert’s flowers quickly outsold the vegetables, and flowers became the future of Bachman’s.

The company is now run by three fifth-generation family members: Susan Bachman West, CEO and president; Karen Bachman Thull, director of public relations and business development; and Adam Bachman, director of delivery and logistics.

The flagship retail location in Minneapolis sits adjacent to the original homestead where the family lived and started growing flowers.

Many of the plants, flowers and landscaping products sold by Bachman’s are still grown locally in seven acres of greenhouses and a 670-acre growing range in Farmington.

Giving back to local communities is a priority for Bachman’s, from a donation of dozens of trees for a new, equitable housing development to events and round-up-for-a-cause campaigns that provide financial support to nonprofits to helping neighboring businesses.

There are six Bachman’s Floral, Garden and Gift locations in Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding suburbs and 28 floral departments within Lunds & Byerlys grocery stores.

Additionally, Bachman’s operates indoor and outdoor landscaping divisions, a weddings and special events department, a wholesale nursery division and Cedar Acres, a retail location connected to the growing facilities in Farmington. Bachman’s employs more than 1,200 people at peak season.