Company History

1910s

• Victor B. Foster starts “Producers Milk Company.” Becomes one of the largest cream suppliers in the nation

1920s

• Acquires small coal company (“Foster’s Coal Company”) whose largest customer is the dairy.

1930s

• Dairy fails during The Great Depression, but coal company survives.
• Buys warehouse in downtown Waterloo, Iowa. Takes seed and mill business as tenant.
• Buys seed inventory from struggling tenant, starting “Foster’s Coal and Seed Company.”
• Expands to offer live goods, tools, and other garden supplies, purchased primarily from hardware suppliers.

1940s

• “Foster’s Wholesale” starts as gamble – a truckload of redwood planters from California and a search for dealers to share it with.
• Sons Jack and Victor H. (“Vic”) spend days on road selling wholesale and nights packing orders. Wife Vonna makes shipping arrangements. Son-in-law Don Willasson manages retail business.

1950s

• Incorporates.
• Divests itself of the coal business.
• Relocates to new building in downtown Waterloo on Jefferson street.

1960s

• Hires William E. Heine, first wholesale salesperson from outside family.

1970s

• Relocates wholesale operations to new office and warehouse in a Waterloo industrial park.

1980s

• Foster family retires. William E. Heine buys the business.
• Closes retail store and devotes all efforts to wholesale.
• Acquires assets of defunct Green Bay distributor. Opens distribution center in Green Bay.

1990s

• Opens distribution center in Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth.
• William E. Heine retires. Hands reins over to son William C. “Bill Jr.” and son-in-law John Lehman.
• Consolidates Plymouth and Green Bay operations into new facility in Rogers, Minnesota.

Today

• Foster’s serves thousands of lawn and garden retailers in the Upper Midwest with a knowledgeable, professional staff and 140,000 square feet of combined warehouse space in Waterloo and Rogers