SHORTY'S GROWS WITH GARDENING CRAZE, PLANS FOR $3 MILLION EXPANSION

The art of gardening is changing and so are its time-stressed consumers, says Brian Mahoney, president and co-owner of Vancouver-based Shorty’s Garden & Home stores. That means his business must continually adjust to grab and hold market share from a range of competitors that include like-sized operations and big-box contenders. Shorty’s Vancouver and Ridgefield home and garden stores “have to adapt or forget it,” said Mahoney, 49. He has co-owned the business since 1996 with his wife, Ines Mahoney, and his parents, Edward and Betty Mahoney. The family took on the former no-frills garden centers at the cusp of a national resurgence in home-gardening. They added unique outdoor art and decor to Shorty’s extensive store lines of plant and landscape materials, a strategy that worked to attract clientele and increase store sales each year, Mahoney said.

Gardening craze

“Our sales are set to surpass $5 million this year,” he said, up from total store sales of $1.5 million in 1996. While Mahoney attributes Shorty’s sales growth to the gardening craze, he also credits a strong following of baby-boom patrons. However, he doesn’t expect the generation of do-it-youselfers to continue gardening forever as the group eases into smaller retirement homes.

“The consumer group coming up is the ‘Do it for me’ generation,” Mahoney said. Well educated and affluent, its members still want showcase gardens and homes. “But they don’t have the time to do it,” he said. “That’s where we can step in with consulting.”

Shorty’s 56 employees include experts with degrees in horticulture, biology and landscape design. “They’re our most important asset,” said Mahoney, who said 22 percent of Shorty’s gross revenue is spent on personnel. He estimates Wal-Mart spends about 6 percent. “We look for people who are passionate about gardening and the customer can see that,” he said.

New outdoor trends are also changing the gardening industry. “It’s not just gardening anymore. People are creating whole outdoor environments,” Mahoney said.

$3 million renovation

The Mahoneys plan to capture that market with a $3 million renovation to Shorty’s main Vancouver store at 10006 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd. Set to start early next year, the project will include a 12,000-square-foot store to replace the existing small Mill Plain store, with another 20,000 square feet of walk-in glass greenhouses just north of the structure. Planned to open in 2009, the space will boost Shorty’s off-season sales during inclement weather and provide room for a wider array of goods, Mahoney said.

“We’ll get into carrying more things like patio furniture, outdoor art and cooking equipment,” items that have to be a little bit different, Mahoney said. “We try to find items that aren’t sold by mass retailers. It’s our set retail formula,” he said.

Mahoney said Shorty’s prices are comparable to nearby garden store independents, including Yard & Garden in Hazel Dell, Tsugawa’s in Woodland and Al’s Garden Center in Portland. When compared to larger retailers, Shorty’s prices “are a little bit higher,” Mahoney said. “But we have a lot of products they don’t carry. For example, Home Depot might have 20 varieties of perennials while we carry more than 400 (varieties).”

Mahoney wouldn’t rule out a remodel for Shorty’s 3.8-acre Ridgefield site in the future. “But that’s at least five or 10 years down the road,” he said. Mahoney spends his lunch hours and weekends running the business. During the week, he’s a full-time dentist with his own practice in downtown Vancouver. Running two businesses “is a lifestyle that isn’t for everyone,” said Mahoney, who admits he is fascinated by business, in general.

As a dentist, “The work is detailed and close up, while Shorty’s is hard work, but it’s fun,” Mahoney said.

Despite keeping a vigilant eye on the gardening industry and its ever changing trends, Mahoney said his biggest challenge is complacency.

“For me, that means not to blindly do things the way we’ve always done them,” he said. “You have to know what your customer wants or needs and then do your homework and find it.”

SHORTY’S GARDEN & HOME OWNERS SINCE 1996: Brian and Ines Mahoney; Edward and Betty Mahoney. HEADQUARTERS: 10006 S. E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver. WHAT: Retail garden stores, selling plants, landscaping materials and home and garden decor. LOCATIONS: 10006 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd.; and 705 N.E. 199th St., Ridgefield. EMPLOYEES: 56. FOUNDED: In 1962 by Ron “Shorty” Founier. LOOKING AHEAD: Work on a $3 million renovation of the Mill Plain store is expected to start in 2008 and open in Spring 2009, a project that will replace the existing small store with a larger store and also add display and shop space in 20,000 square feet of glass greenhouses to boost year-round sales.