Since 1972, Len Busch Roses has used environmentally friendly biomass boilers to heat its greenhouse. This Plymouth business, the only rose grower in the United States outside of California, employs over 150 people. Sprawling across 15 acres, the company produces seven million flowers each year.
Second-generation owner Patrick Busch credits this unique success to biomass fuel. The business receives wood chips, brush, and logs from the local community and grinds them to specification. Depending on the season and demand, Len Busch Roses either immediately uses or stores these tree trimmings. Two boilers consume the wood, completely heating the half-million square feet of greenhouses.
Biomass fuel offsets the high costs of natural gas for heating a greenhouse, saving on energy bills. A renewable resource, it also eliminates waste. While the initial equipment purchase was more expensive and the system takes a bit more training to run that other systems, the biomass heating enables Len Busch Roses to cost-effectively grow flowers year-round in a northern climate.
Busch is still inspired by the company’s mission and how they power their operation: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to use a resource like that to bring joy to people’s lives.” A pioneer in the biomass sphere, Len Busch Roses saves money and advances sustainability with its environmentally conscious heating technology.
