Kim Gliha started working at Garden Barn Nursery, her family’s business, when she was twelve years old. She has continued to expand her role ever since.
The Glihas have been with the Garden Barn Nursery since 1978, when Dennis, Kim’s father, started as the business’ manager and, in 1981, Dennis and Kathy, Kim’s mother, purchased it outright. A retail operation, the Gliha’s grow on half an acre outdoors and on three quarters of an acre indoors.
A family affair
After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Agribusiness, Kim returned to the family business as a full-time as sales manager. In this role, she oversees front-end sales, hard goods, giftware selection and the purchasing of greenhouse and annual plants. Kim continues to work at Garden Barn Nursery with her brother Shawn, who, together, manage the day-to-day retail operations.
Shawn graduated two years after his sister with a degree in horticulture and started working full time at the Garden Barn as nursery manager and landscape designer. Shawn handles purchasing and care of our trees, shrubs and perennials, as well as creating first-rate landscape designs.
Dennis and Kathy also remain a big part of the business, Dennis works with the plants and Kathy manages the office.
Support from Farm Credit
In 2003, the Glihas decided to renovate Garden Barn Nursery and built the store and greenhouse that customers enjoy today.
“Farm Credit has helped my parents over the years, but the true help started when we decided to tear down our original facility and rebuild,” Kim said. “This was a six-stage process, from greenhouse to pavilion to the growing facility, and Farm Credit has helped us each step along the way.”
More than just a loan
When Kim came back from college and joined the family business, she noticed that her mother seemed unduly stressed. After paying closer attention to discover the cause, Kim realized that many of Kathy’s troubles were stemming from her interactions with the family’s accounting service.
“I felt that it caused too much stress on my parents because the accounting service just didn’t understand our business,” Kim said.
Contemplating what she could do to help, Kim immediately thought of Farm Credit East and the financial services she knew they offered. Kim remembered what it was like working with Farm Credit to renovate her family’s business and decided they should give Farm Credit a try for accounting services, too.
“Since we changed over to work almost solely with Farm Credit East for accounting and loans, my mother’s life has gotten a lot easier,” Kim said. “Her relationship with Farm Credit over the years has truly taken a lot off her plate and for that, we’re all grateful.”
