Rob Galloway owns The Nurserie in Little Rock. The Nurserie is a garden center, aquaponics farm, local foods market, and homebrew shop.
Galloway also operates a transportation company out of the same location. He previously owned other businesses, including restaurants and a cleaning company.
Entrepreneurship “allows me to be creative and productive towards goals that I set,” he said. “It also gives me the opportunity to develop a working environment based more on the decisions we make as a family.”
Focus on Local
The Nurserie location near the I-430 and Stagecoach Road interchange was previously a garden center and landscape company. In 2020, the property became available.
“So we talked to the previous owners about purchasing the property, and The Nurserie was formed. Having a retail space was always in our plans, and we now have the room and location to develop a local market,” he said.
The Nurserie grows and sells a variety of aquaponic lettuces and plants.
In the market, they stock locally grown produce, locally raised poultry, beef, and pork, and other Arkansas-made products like Loblolly Ice Cream. In the greenhouses are more plants, trees, and bushes, plus mulch and other gardening supplies.
The business also offers homebrewing goods.
“The homebrew shop was a natural fit for us, as the homebrew community uses some of the same supplies, ingredients, and tools as the hydroponic component of our business. Also, one of the local homebrew stores went out of business, freeing up some of the homebrew market,” said Galloway.
Center’s Support
A few months after opening, Galloway and store manager Bo Bennett began working with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.
Their business consultant, Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, provided guidance and market research. He also connected them with Elizabeth Young, an agriculture business specialist who works with ASBTDC. Galloway called the center’s services “truly helpful.”
“Consulting with Nicolas and Elizabeth is valuable, from brainstorming to putting you in touch with someone that can help your company in many ways. Every company needs help. Nicolas can point you in the right direction or answer it himself,” said Galloway.
ASBTDC also paired The Nurserie with students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Marketing Management class for a Real-World Classroom project. The experience was a “win-win” for students and the business, according to Galloway.
“The students can see firsthand the challenges of bringing in new sales for a company…and how important it is to make solid recommendations on how to spend their marketing budget,” he said. “The experience built on current strategies and helped build a blueprint for our future marketing plans.”
Next Step: Delivery
The next step in The Nurserie’s growth is to build on Galloway’s transportation experience by instituting home delivery.
Galloway applies lessons from his military service while running his business. He served in the Arkansas Army National Guard from 1990 to 1996.
“As a soldier, I was taught teamwork and what a group of people working hard all day and night could accomplish. I was also taught that I could push myself harder because people around me were pushing themselves harder and how to overcome my limitations when I failed.”
Check out The Nurserie’s Facebook page for the latest updates on the business.