Petitti-owned Willowbend Nurseries, LLC acquires assets of Herman Losely & Son, Inc.

Acquisition of family-owned business by local industry peer doubles new owner’s acreage, positions combined company to provide expansive product offering to customers 

OAKWOOD VILLAGE, OH – On Friday, December 31, 2021, Willowbend Nurseries, LLC, owned by Angelo Petitti of Petitti Garden Centers, purchased the assets of Herman Losely & Son, Inc. with the intent to continue their legacy under the Losely Nursery name. Willowbend now represents 2,000 acres of field production, 500 acres of container production, and 300 employees, all located in Lake County, Ohio and geographically positioned within a 500-mile radius of 75% of the North American market. 

Losely is a third-generation, family-owned business encompassing 1,200 acres of field production growing a diverse selection of more than 1,000 varieties of mostly woody ornamentals. Second-generation Willowbend provides a common thread of family ownership and specializes in bare root trees and shrubs. Willowbend also owns and operates Ridge Manor Nurseries, recognized industrywide for its high-quality container plant production. 

The aggregate of nurseries under the Willowbend umbrella is expected to deliver immediate benefits for landscape contractors, garden centers, and wholesale customers. 

“With the combination of Losely to our family of companies, we are now a 2,500-acre, one-stop shop for bare root, container, and balled-and-burlapped (B&B) trees and shrubs,” said Petitti. “Our quality bare root plants from Willowbend and container plants from Ridge Manor, combined with the industry’s most well-respected and diverse, B&B varieties from Losely, greatly increases the selection available to all customers.” 

Willowbend President Joe Allio, who is also son-in-law to Petitti, affirms additional benefits expected to be achieved through greater infrastructure at Losely. 

“We’re committed to invest in new technology at Losely that’s consistent with what we’ve implemented at Willowbend and Ridge Manor over the past several years, and it will have an incredibly positive impact,” said Allio. “Adding that technology will enhance the quality of Losely’s product offerings and achieve efficiencies that are expected to result in consistent inventory, reliable supply, and an overall better value for customers.” 

About Willowbend and Ridge Manor Nurseries 

Willowbend Nurseries is a 1,200-acre collection of farms, including Ridge Manor Nurseries, headquartered in Perry, Ohio, where more than 3 million trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses are cultivated annually for sale to garden centers, landscapers, and re-wholesalers throughout the United States and Canada. The namesake Willowbend site, a 415-acre farm more than 110 years old, specializes in bare root tree hydrangeas, and hydrangea shrubs. Ridge Manor specializes in container production of zone-hardy grasses, trees, and shrubs. Willowbend is owned by the Petitti family, led by Angelo Petitti, which additionally owns 9 retail garden center locations.

About Losely Nursery 

Losely Nursery, formerly Herman Losely & Son, Inc., is a division of Willowbend Nurseries, LLC, as of December 31, 2021. In business since 1949, Losely Nursery is based in Perry, Ohio and encompasses more than 1,200 acres of field production where a diverse selection of 1,000 varieties of mostly woody ornamentals are cultivated for sale to landscape contractors, garden centers, and re-wholesale yards nationwide. Losely specializes in one-of-a-kind, B&B plant material available for harvest in sizes ranging from 1-gallon container to 90-inch spade ball.

About Petitti Garden Centers 

Petitti Garden Centers is a family owned, independent garden center business with nine locations serving the Greater Cleveland, Akron-Canton, and Youngstown communities of Northeast Ohio. Petitti’s offers a wide selection of outdoor plants, indoor houseplants, backyard birding supplies, lawn & garden products, patio furniture, and home décor. Nearly 98% of plants sold in the retail stores are supplied by Willowbend and Ridge Manor Nurseries, and the Petitti-owned Casa Verde Growers, a 32-acre greenhouse production facility location in Lorain County, Ohio. Owned and operated by Angelo Petitti since 1971, Petitti Garden Centers celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. Visit www.petittigardencenter.com to learn more.