Wind, hail damage can't dull the shine off banner year for this Rockford business
Village Green has been a part of the Rockford landscape for nearly six decades, but it's never had a year like this one.
On March 31, the East Riverside Boulevard nursery and furniture store was heavily damaged by high winds from a storm that produced multiple tornadoes across the Midwest, including one that struck the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere.
"It was the night before our big patio expo," Village Green CEO Jessica Salisbury said. "We had extensive damage and cleanup that needed to be done at this property. And then, a couple of months after everything was finally repaired, we had a hailstorm come through and wipe everything else out."
If that was the lowest of the lows, the highest of the highs came just months later when Village Green and Salisbury were recognized by industry peers at the International Casual Furniture Association's Awards gala in Atlanta.
More: Village Green owner receives award
The business was awarded the Apollo Award, which recognizes retail excellence in the sales and marketing of outdoor furnishings. The business also was named one of 10 retailers nationwide to receive the 2023 Lawn and Garden Retailer Innovator Award for "excelling in customer education, social media innovation, providing a memorable customer experience, commitment to their local community and offering new and exciting plant offerings."
And Salisbury was presented with the first ever, Dudley K. Flanders Leadership Award, which among other things recognizes an outstanding and up and coming professional under the age of 45 who inspires colleagues by supporting and promoting the growth of the industry through their actions and contributions to the profession and their local community.
Longtime Village Green customer Bradley Schreiber was at the Riverside store the day after the March storm and saw that the entire roof of one of the structures was missing.
He was pleased to learn that Village Green has since had a change in fortune.
"My dad and I have been going there to get Christmas trees for decades," Schreiber said. "It's a family-owned business, and they treat you like family. Life in general is about developing relationships, and they're pros at it."
Another longtime customer, Gerrie Gustafson, praised Village Green's quality and variety of furniture and greenhouse-raised plants.
"Their customer service excellent," Gustafson said, "and of course they're a local business."
Salisbury attributed the business' awards and her personal accolade to her staff.
"None of this is possible without them," she said. "Everything that we do is created by the people who work here. Everything from setting up displays to the merchandise we buy to building structures, the greenhouses, the prop sets — that's all done by the people who work here. They are the real winners of everything.
"So, we are really proud to take all those awards home this year."
Village Green, which also operates a store at 2640 N. Main St., will celebrate 60 years of business next year.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford's Village Green lauded by industry peers
