McDonald Garden Center closing two of three locations

Citing under-performance in the two affected markets, McDonald Garden Center owner Eddie Anderson confirmed on Tuesday, May 2 that his company will close its retail stores in Hampton and Chesapeake, Va.

A third McDonald Garden Center location in Virginia Beach will become the company’s new focus, Anderson said. The IGC’s seasonal markets, which vary in number and are located between the oceanfront of Virginia Beach and Williamsburg throughout spring and summer, will also remain open.

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The Chesapeake store first opened in 1991. The Hampton location has been open since 1945, and was purchased by Anderson in 1973. Anderson says the stores in Hampton and Chesapeake have become less profitable recently, necessitating the move to close the under-performing locations and focus on the more successful aspects of the business.

“They’re not nearly as successful ventures as they once were,” Anderson says of Hampton and Chesapeake. “We’re just trying to restructure the company and reposition ourselves for future growth. Our landscape [business] is strong and growing, and we want to pursue that more strongly. Our retail in Virginia Beach is very strong, and we want to help grow that business. With the other two holding us back, we just felt like we couldn’t invest in our strengths.”

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Closing the two stores will involve the elimination of roughly 30 McDonald Garden Center jobs, including about 10 full-time employees.

“Some of the personnel will remain with us and go forward with the retail activity,” Anderson says. “Unfortunately, we’ve got to downsize in that segment. It’s a difficult thing when people have been very loyal and with you a long time, but if we can’t support them, we can’t support them.”

Although he remains involved in the operations at McDonald Garden Centers, Anderson has handed the reigns off to his son Mark, president of the company. He says he’s confident in the next generation’s leadership of the family business.

“I’m excited for where my son is taking the company,” Anderson says. “I think he’s got some great plans going forward and I’m excited to help with that any way I can.”

Logo and photo courtesy of McDonald Garden Center.