Our History
How Claussen's Came To Be...
In 1969, an industrious man named William ("Bill") Claussen came to Vermont and shortly later started his own nursery and garden center. He was the son of a respected German rose cut grower who shipped daily into the NY marketplace to wholesalers selling to florists. When Bill arrived in Vermont, he started working for Carpenter’s Greenhouse, which, at the time, was a small retail Greenhouse/Farm Stand style operation with a few greenhouses. Through the world of hard knocks, diligence, German work ethics and philosophy, Bill worked day and night to prove to Mr. Carpenter that he was an exemplary employee. On November 1, 1972 Bill purchased Carpenter Greenhouses and started Claussen’s Greenhouses. Hard work, due diligence and knowledge of how to grow and sell great plants has always been our philosophy since day one. Bill set the bar high and that has always been the expectation that we have achieved through hard work. He built the greenhouses with the help of his energetic staff, from morning until night, through sweat and tears as he had a vision. For years, Bill worked on making his dreams come true. From the beginning, he ran the cash registers, did the books, cared for the plants and managed the entire business almost single-handedly. Bill is an astute businessman with a firm touch. He knew what his goals were and did not stop until he surpassed them. His kind of energy and commitment to excellence is what our company is built on today. Although he is semi-retired, Bill remains the inspiration and backbone of our company, along with Chris Conant, part-owner and Vice President. Chris started in the business in the 1970s possessing a love of flowers and people. Chris’s dedication to fostering lasting relationships with our customers, along with Bill’s devotion and that of over 35 employees, awarded Claussen’s Florist & Greenhouse ‘Vermont Retailer of the Year for 2008’.
It became apparent to Bill that the floral industry was beginning to change with more retail chains and grocery stores selling plants and floral bouquets. In order to make our mark in the mid 1980s, Brenda Wheel came aboard to produce individualized floral designs and maintain a retail shop complete with novelty items and silk arrangements. To stay competitive, Claussen’s had to balance its’ focus between growing quality plants and serving the needs of our retail customers. Brenda is still with us today and serves as our Florist & Retail Manager. She continues to maintain a keen eye for design and produces exquisite works of art. One of Brenda's passions is working with brides to achieve their wedding dreams.
Claussen’s Florist, voted Best Florist by the Burlington Free Press Readers’ Choice Awards, specializes in fresh floral arrangements for any occasion to be sent anywhere in the world. Our experienced floral artists can create bouquets from country to contemporary, and any style in between working within your budget. A wonderful way to add to the elegance of your wedding floral designs is to include fresh gourmet baskets and lush foliage. Claussen’s has the area’s largest selection of fresh foliage plants for sale or rent. The warmth of tropical foliage and splash of color can soften and add texture to any special occasion.
Our wedding motto at Claussen’s Florist is “A beautiful moment becomes a cherished memory…”. Let your magical day of dreams, romance and memories come together with the help of our experienced designers. Our four talented designers will use their combined floral experience of over 90 years to:
Since 1972, Claussen’s Florist & Greenhouse has been the area’s largest supplier of locally-grown, top-quality plants with a wonderful selection of gardening products, accessories and a full-service florist. Through the years, we have had a number of locations throughout Vermont and New York. As our generous public acceptance increased, we decided to expand our current operations to over 500,000 square feet and, in the later years, scaled back on the number of locations we had. This shift is an example of how we are constantly changing to improve customer convenience and company efficiency. In October 2009 we merged our Perennial Farm onto our Main Street location. This allows all of our operations to be in one location, allowing our customers a one-stop-shop experience. Our attention to quality blossoms from the growing of our seasonal flowering plants such as Azaleas, Daffodils, Hydrangeas, Lilies, Annuals, Perennials, Hardy Mums, Poinsettias to our customized gourmet baskets, novelty items and fresh floral arrangements.
Loyalty to understanding and fulfilling our customer’s needs is something we pride ourselves on and welcome the opportunity to do so. We are also proud to support many civic groups and local charities, which provide us the good fortune to give back to the communities that support us so strongly. Claussen’s Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm is second to none. Open daily, all year long, with our 100% satisfaction guarantee; we are truly the place for all of your floral needs.
In 1969, an industrious man named William ("Bill") Claussen came to Vermont and shortly later started his own nursery and garden center. He was the son of a respected German rose cut grower who shipped daily into the NY marketplace to wholesalers selling to florists. When Bill arrived in Vermont, he started working for Carpenter’s Greenhouse, which, at the time, was a small retail Greenhouse/Farm Stand style operation with a few greenhouses. Through the world of hard knocks, diligence, German work ethics and philosophy, Bill worked day and night to prove to Mr. Carpenter that he was an exemplary employee. On November 1, 1972 Bill purchased Carpenter Greenhouses and started Claussen’s Greenhouses. Hard work, due diligence and knowledge of how to grow and sell great plants has always been our philosophy since day one. Bill set the bar high and that has always been the expectation that we have achieved through hard work. He built the greenhouses with the help of his energetic staff, from morning until night, through sweat and tears as he had a vision. For years, Bill worked on making his dreams come true. From the beginning, he ran the cash registers, did the books, cared for the plants and managed the entire business almost single-handedly. Bill is an astute businessman with a firm touch. He knew what his goals were and did not stop until he surpassed them. His kind of energy and commitment to excellence is what our company is built on today. Although he is semi-retired, Bill remains the inspiration and backbone of our company, along with Chris Conant, part-owner and Vice President. Chris started in the business in the 1970s possessing a love of flowers and people. Chris’s dedication to fostering lasting relationships with our customers, along with Bill’s devotion and that of over 35 employees, awarded Claussen’s Florist & Greenhouse ‘Vermont Retailer of the Year for 2008’.
It became apparent to Bill that the floral industry was beginning to change with more retail chains and grocery stores selling plants and floral bouquets. In order to make our mark in the mid 1980s, Brenda Wheel came aboard to produce individualized floral designs and maintain a retail shop complete with novelty items and silk arrangements. To stay competitive, Claussen’s had to balance its’ focus between growing quality plants and serving the needs of our retail customers. Brenda is still with us today and serves as our Florist & Retail Manager. She continues to maintain a keen eye for design and produces exquisite works of art. One of Brenda's passions is working with brides to achieve their wedding dreams.
Claussen’s Florist, voted Best Florist by the Burlington Free Press Readers’ Choice Awards, specializes in fresh floral arrangements for any occasion to be sent anywhere in the world. Our experienced floral artists can create bouquets from country to contemporary, and any style in between working within your budget. A wonderful way to add to the elegance of your wedding floral designs is to include fresh gourmet baskets and lush foliage. Claussen’s has the area’s largest selection of fresh foliage plants for sale or rent. The warmth of tropical foliage and splash of color can soften and add texture to any special occasion.
Our wedding motto at Claussen’s Florist is “A beautiful moment becomes a cherished memory…”. Let your magical day of dreams, romance and memories come together with the help of our experienced designers. Our four talented designers will use their combined floral experience of over 90 years to:
- Listen to your ideas and use our artistic abilities to create floral works of art to match our customers’ emotions.
- Custom design and decorate your ceremony and reception to enhance the look you've always dreamed of.
- Create floral artistry by blending colors and textures that are visually unforgettable.
- Use only the freshest flowers to provide elegance within your budget.
- Pay impeccable attention to even the smallest of details.
- Continue our tradition of superior quality and exceptional value as we have for over 40 years.
Since 1972, Claussen’s Florist & Greenhouse has been the area’s largest supplier of locally-grown, top-quality plants with a wonderful selection of gardening products, accessories and a full-service florist. Through the years, we have had a number of locations throughout Vermont and New York. As our generous public acceptance increased, we decided to expand our current operations to over 500,000 square feet and, in the later years, scaled back on the number of locations we had. This shift is an example of how we are constantly changing to improve customer convenience and company efficiency. In October 2009 we merged our Perennial Farm onto our Main Street location. This allows all of our operations to be in one location, allowing our customers a one-stop-shop experience. Our attention to quality blossoms from the growing of our seasonal flowering plants such as Azaleas, Daffodils, Hydrangeas, Lilies, Annuals, Perennials, Hardy Mums, Poinsettias to our customized gourmet baskets, novelty items and fresh floral arrangements.
Loyalty to understanding and fulfilling our customer’s needs is something we pride ourselves on and welcome the opportunity to do so. We are also proud to support many civic groups and local charities, which provide us the good fortune to give back to the communities that support us so strongly. Claussen’s Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm is second to none. Open daily, all year long, with our 100% satisfaction guarantee; we are truly the place for all of your floral needs.
