History of McShane's Nursery and Landscape Supply
Founded in the Fall of 2005, McShane’s Nursery & Landscape Supply has an incredible story to tell. It all goes back to a passion for plants & outdoor living environments by the organization’s Owner and General Manager, Steve McShane.
An avid outdoors man, agriculturalist and gardener, many would say Steve has loved nursery & plants since he could crawl. This was probably helped by his father, Tom McShane, and grandmother, Leonie Stakle. In his teens he was well known for the yards and business properties he took care of to help make money. Steve also spent nearly four years working in the nursery department at Orchard Supply Hardware in Sunnyvale, California.
A Soil Science graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo , Steve co-founded and chaired the Central Coast Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers in the Fall of 1993. In 1996, Steve graduated from the Master Gardeners Program in San Luis Obispo County.
Once finished with college, Steve worked with State Senator and former Secretary of State, Bruce McPherson. He also worked for State Senator Jeff Denham. After some time in politics, he returned to his passion of agriculture by entering the fresh vegetable business with work at Taylor Farms and NewStar Fresh Foods.
Everything changed during the Fall of 2005. Steve learned of an opportunity to acquire a nursery of more than 50 years on the south side of Salinas known as Graeber Gardens. Opportunities for production, direct marketing and even expansion fueled a business plan and a partnership with a local transportation company, Assured Aggregates. On December 19th, 2005 McShane’s Nursery & Landscape Supply became a reality.
Less than a month after startup, a neighboring soil, bark and rock operation by the name of Deco Rock, came up for sale. By early February, a deal was inked. McShane’s Nursery & Landscape Supply would acquire Deco Rock and now would offer a full suite of soils, compost, bark and Landscape Supplies. In 2007, McShane’s would go on to acquire Antolini Company of Santa Cruz. Antolini Company specialized in natural stone and masonry supplies. With the help of Antolini’s owner, Jon Troutner, McShane’s grew its natural stone business and even opened an outdoor stone showroom called Antolini Alley. In 2008, local Salinas Masonry Supply, Amrock closed its doors. Similar to Antolini, this presented an opportunity for McShane’s to partner with Amrock and expand its Masonry Supply.
Steve McShane is quite clear about the vision behind the enterprise. That is the mission to build and succeed at operating a true "regional" Nursery and Landscape Supply. In just a short period of time, McShane’s has undergone significant improvements including the addition of a 3,000 square foot greenhouse, covered walkway, paved parking lot and giant functioning windmill. The improvements are but a small piece of evidence to the incredible plans for strong success that McShane’s has in store!
