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    The 1999 Garland County Farm Family of The Year

        The Robert Reynolds family of Hot Springs recently was selected as Garland County winners in the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program, sponsored by Entergy, the Arkansas Press Association and, locally, by The Sentinel-Record.
The program, now in its 53rd year, is the only one of its kind in the country. It highlights the importance of farm families and agriculture to the state. The 1999 Garland County farm family owns Reynolds Greenhouses, a 150000 square foot operation on Crabtree Road in Hot Springs. Robert Reynolds started the business in 1976, and his wife Deborah, joined the business in 1985. The Reynolds' have five children, some of whom work at the greenhouses.
        Reynolds Greenhouses grows a large selection of spring annuals, such as geraniums, impatiens, petunias, marigolds and other varieties. In the fall, the company grows around 65 different varieties of pansies. All spring annuals are potted in containers ranging from six packs to 10 inch hanging baskets. All production is in one building, where equipment, which fills the flats and pots with soil is located. Once the seedlings are placed in the soil, they are moved to the greenhouses, which contain automated, overhead irrigation.
        Reynolds Greenhouses markets to large chains, such as Lowe's and Wal-Mart, and also to individual consumers. Customers can receive availability sheets by fax, which, according to the Reynolds' application for the award, is popular with customers. The greenhouses' inventory is all monitored by computers, which are operated by Deborah Reynolds, the office manager.
        The business has seen some new and welcome improvements over the past several years. The implementation of new chemical spraying procedures, along with the connection to the Hot Springs Water System and the conversion from propane to natural gas have made everyday things such as watering and disease prevention easier. In 1997, the company built its first natural ventilation greenhouse. Since then, several of the greenhouses have been retrofitted with automated roll-up sides and raised roof ventilation.       These changes are making fans obsolete and preparing the business for the future.
        Even though this farm family was not selected as District Farm Family of the Year, the final step before state farm family honors are bestowed, they will still be honored at a Dec.3, luncheon at the Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale. That luncheon will honor all county and district farm families and will be the place where the Arkansas State Farm Family of the Year is named.

Janet Huckabee, Lisa Reynolds, Shane Reynolds, Robert Reynolds, Deborah Reynolds, and Governor Mike Huckabee

      The Sentinel-Record compiled and edited the following story, which appeared in the Sentinel-Record, Sunday October 10, 1999. The Reynolds family, Bob, Deborah, and Shane Reynolds provided the information for the article and wrote parts of it.

The Reynolds Family named Garland Family of the Year

     The following article recognizes the Garland County Farm Family of the Year. Entergy and the Arkansas Press Association in cooperation with the Farm Bureau, Cooperative Extension Service, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, and Arkansas Department of Workforce Education work to develop this program each year.

The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year was started in 1947 and serves as a vehicle to recognize out standing farm families throughout the state. The object of the program is to give recognition and encouragement to farm families who are doing an outstanding job in farming, community leadership, and home making. It is designed to disseminate information on improved farm practices and home management.

      Bob and Deborah Reynolds, owners of Reynolds' Greenhouses, were named Garland County's 1999 Farm Family of the Year.

Bob started Reynolds' Greenhouses with his late wife, Bonnie, in 1976 growing peppers and tomatoes to sell to local garden centers.

The two had no formal experience in horticulture but were interested in gardening and had grown vegetables and transplants successfully in cold frames for personal use.

      When the Reynolds’s started their greenhouses, Bob worked as a sheet metal worker installing heating and air conditioning duct systems in hospitals and other commercial buildings.  His job required traveling, sometimes for several months at a time.  The couple wanted to open a business they could operate at home so they could spend more time with the family.

Bob continued working until they got their greenhouse business established.  By 1982, he was able to quit sheet metal work and operates the greenhouses full time.

      Today Bob and wife, Deborah, operate 150000 square feet of greenhouses and production areas.

They grow a large selection of spring annuals such as geraniums, impatience, petunias, marigolds and many more varieties, which are plotted in containers ranging from six packs to 10-inch hanging baskets.  In the fall, they grow pansies in about 65 colors and varieties. 

When ready for harvesting, plants are loaded onto shipping carts and delivered directly to customers.

      A preventative drench of Marathon, Adept and Banrot is used for insect and disease control.  This initial application has dramatically reduced chemical usage and exposure.  Spraying is rare except for problem spots.

Marketing has evolved dramatically since the business began in 1976.  During the early years, routes were established to sell retail florist.  Pot chrysanthemums, poinsettias, gloxinias and other floral crops were sold to retail florists and garden centers.  Inventories were sold directly from the route trucks.

      As the Reynolds' market share grew, major chains were added to the portfolio of sales.  Customers were contacted personally or by phone and informed of what was available.  After Bob's first wife, Bonnie died in 1984; he discontinued the floral routes and stopped growing for retail florists.

In the spring of 1985, when the bedding plant segment of the business was growing and becoming more profitable; Reynolds converted all production to flowering annuals.  The change was profitable.

The Reynolds now market two ways; pre-selling part of crops to chains and faxing availability sheets to customers.

Computers play a major role in marketing strategy.  Bob married Deborah in October 1985, and she became interested in the business, serving as office manager.  She utilizes the computer system EDI to receive purchase orders and send acknowledgments and invoices.  Retaillink is used to stay in touch with Wal-Mart through the Internet.  It tracks sale-thrus and markdowns on store level, by district or by region.

      Bob and Deborah have five children; Shane Robert Reynolds, Jennifer Lee White, Joseph Wayne White, Joshua Edward Reynolds, Stephen Andrew Reynolds.

      Shane is a part owner of Reynolds' Greenhouses.  He became a full-time partner in the business in 1988 after graduating from DuPage Horticulture School in West Chicago, Illinois.  He has served on the committee of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 1 First Presbyterian Church and attained a rank of Eagle Scout in 1987. Shane is married to Lisa Gobel Reynolds.  They have three children Kamden, Matthew and Sarah.

      Jennifer White is a 1997 graduate of Remington Business College.  She has one daughter, Brittany.

      Joe White is a graduate of Subiaco Academy where he earned several metals' in track and field.  He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1994.  He has worked a four-year apprenticeship with Parker Plumbing Company in Hot Springs.  He is married to Danielle Buck White.

      Joshua Reynolds is an honor roll student at Second Baptist Christian School.  He received his certificate of confirmation at First United Methodist Church in May 1999.  He earned third-place in the 1993 Spa Sprint Run and has earned several first-place metals for events on Athletic Day at Second Baptist Christian School.

      Stephen Reynolds is a student at St. Luke's Episcopal Day School.

      Besides work the family, Bob and Deborah stay busy with community involvement.

      Bob is a member of the Ouachita Area Council Boy Scouts of America and worked in the Cub Scout program for two years.  In 1980, he served as Webelos leader in Pack 1 First Presbyterian Church for two years and in 1981 became assistant Scoutmaster for the troop.  In 1983, he became the Scoutmaster and served three years.  In 1986 he became assistance Scoutmaster for Troop 15 at Highland Presbyterian Church and served as advancement chairman on the Troop Committee for five years.

      In 1991, he transferred back to First Presbyterian Church Troop 1 where he served on the Troop Committee and later as Troop Committee chairman for three years.

      He has worked on several Friends of Scouting fund raising-drives. 

      Bob has filled leadership positions at First Presbyterian Church.

      He was elected to serve as an elder on the session.  During his three years as an elder he was Moderator of Christian Education and Missions and vice moderator of the Witness Committee.  He also taught a youth Sunday school class for five years.

      Deborah also has been involved in church organizations.  At First Presbyterian Church, she taught Sunday school for five years and taught vacation Bible school.  She was a member of the Witness Committee and Christian Education Committee and served as treasurer of the Presbyterian Women's Group for two years.  Deborah also served on the Boy Scout Troop 1 Committee.

            With strong ethics, close family ties and strong community involvement, the Reynolds family amplifies the spirit of the Garland County Farm Family of the year.

1.  ROBERT EDWARD⁷ REYNOLDS  (AUBREY EDWARD⁶, LEONIDAS ERASMUS⁵, LEONIDAS BASCOM⁴, HARTWELL STAIN³, HENRY², FATHER¹) was born pvt. in Erie, Pennsylvania.  He married (1) BONNIE SUE STANDIFORD January 29, 1968 in Hot Springs, AR. Piney Baptist Church, daughter of EDWARD STANDIFORD and VEDA HENDERSON.  She was born November 02, 1940 in Bonnerdale, Arkansas, and died September 03, 1984 in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  He married (2) DEBORAH LOU OFFUTT October 19,1995 in Smith Chapel Church Of God, Kingsland, AR., daughter of JOE OFFUTT and VIRGINIA BEST.  She was born pvt. in Liberty, Texas.

Brief update on the family Dec 2003

Brief History since web first was posted

        Much has happened to the Reynolds family since the first articles were posted on the internet

We joined  the First Methodist Church in Hot Springs. Soon after joining I was nominated on November 15, 1999, to serve on the Board of Stewards at First United Methodist Church, in Hot Springs for three years.

         Deborah and I are about to begin construction on a new home located on a 3-acre lot adjacent to the business property. At first we thought we might want to build somewhere away from the greenhouses, but the lot we are building on is paid for and this helps lower the construction cost.  We have been praying about the decision to build for several years and our prayers have been answered.

        Joshua has left Second Baptist Christian School and has enrolled in Hot Springs High School.  Going into public school in his junior year has been quite a change for him, because he was enrolled in a Christian school since he was in kindergarten.  He is making adjustments fine and he is very active in sports.  He is keeping up his grades and hopes to get a scholarship.  Obtaining a scholarship was one of the reasons he left Second Baptist Christian School. 

        Stephen is still at Second Baptist and is enrolled in the eighth grade.  He is staying busy playing on the junior high basketball team.  He is also considering playing baseball after the basketball season is over.

        We recently had a marriage in the family.  Jennifer Lee White married Darren Lee Sorrells on December 6, 2003.  The marriage took place at Bismarck, AR. The Rev. Rick Collie married them Saturday night at 7 p. m. at the Beaton Methodist Church. Jennifer is my stepdaughter. Deborah and I are very proud of her.  Jennifer had been working in a drugstore here in Hot Springs for the last couple of years.  She recently changed employment and is now employed at Walgreen’s on Central Avenue here in Hot Springs.

        Shane has been planning the upcoming spring bedding plants season and submitting proposals to Wal-Mart for their consideration. He has a hobby that is designing appliqué patterns and transferring the designs to CDs.  He has been selling these designs on E-Bay and has been successful with this endeavor.

Joe is still working as a plumber for Parker Plumbing here in Hot Springs.  He is just one step away from getting his master plumber license and plans to go into business on his own.  He is well known in the surrounding community and is praised for his workmanship, so he feels he can reach the goal of running his own company.  Danielle has graduated from college and is working in an accountant office here in town.

        I completed my book on the civil war and hope to have it published in 2004. I recently had the opportunity to make a presentation to The United Daughters of the Confederacy here in Hot Springs on the Civil War in the upper Mississippi River Valley during the first part the war in 1861 , that subject is part of the book.

 Robert Reynolds

Additional History of Reynolds' Greenhouses

E-mail address boreyed@yahoo.com