Plow and Hearth is a United States retailer based in Madison, Virginia specializing in hearth and fireplace accessories; furniture and home furnishings; and lawn and garden accessories . The company was established in 1980.
Plow and Hearth primarily conducts business through its mail order catalog. It also sells items through its web site, as well as multiple retail operations in the states of Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. It maintains its headquarters on a 38-acre (150,000Â m2) site in Madison, Virginia.
History
The company was established by Peter and Peggy Rice and Michael Burns in 1980. It launched its first catalog in 1982, which was mailed to 100,000 names. For four consecutive years (1986-1989), Plow & Hearth was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of America's fastest-growing private companies.
In 1998, the a majority interest in the company to 1-800-FLOWERS, and the company became a wholly owned subsidiary. The company continues to operate independently out of Madison, Virginia with additional warehouse facilities in Vandalia, Ohio.
In 2001, Plow & Hearth purchased two children's catalog companies, HearthSong and Magic Cabin. HearthSong was started in California’s Bay Area in 1983, and flogs toys, games, books, and craft kits, accessories and home products. Magic Cabin, started in 1989 in Wisconsin, provides “Childhood’s Purest Treasures,†playthings.
In 2002, the Problem Solvers catalog was established, offering practical solutions for everyday living. The brand transitioned to a web-only business in 2007.
In 2005, Plow & Hearth brought the Fort Bragg, California-based Wind & Weather catalog company. Started in 1976, the brand is a supplier of weather instruments.
In January 2010, Plow & Hearth was purchased by Evergreen Enterprises, Inc., a wholesale distributor of home décor and garden products based out of Richmond, VA.
In Fall 2010, Plow & Hearth partnered with Wilmington, Delaware’s Winterthur Estate to revive their retail presence with the launch of WinterthurStore.com.
In April 2011, Plow & Hearth named John Haydock as its President. Haydock joined the company from Raleigh, North Carolina-based Burt’s Bees, where he served as the SVP of Global Planning and Activation.
In April 2013, Plow & Hearth acquired sustainable brand Reuseit. The company, started by Vincent Cobb in Chicago in 2003 as reusablebags.com, spawned the reusable shopping bag movement and pioneered raising awareness of the plastic bag problem.
Environmental Initiatives
In 1991, Plow & Hearth began their Planting Two For OneSM program in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Forestry. The program donates two seedlings for every one tree used in catalog production. Since its inception, the initiative has helped plant more than 1.5 million trees in Virginiaâ€"and the number continues to grow as trees are planted each day.
In September 2008, Plow & Hearth, in partnership with the National Forest Foundation, launched their Campaign to Reforest America, which aimed to replenish forests across America, aiding states such as Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Both of these programs, known collectively as the Campaign to Reforest America, donated one million trees in its inaugural year of 2008 and by the end of 2010 had reached a total of three million trees donated to the Virginia Department of Forestry and the National Forest Foundation.
References
Sources
- Article in Virginia Business Magazine
- Company History
- DM News
External links
- Official website