CHALET IN A NUTSHELL

  • Third-generation family-owned garden center/landscape/grower
  • Founded in 1917 by L.J. Thalmann; his grandson Larry Thalmann III is now president
  • Beloved, 92-year "tradition" on Chicago's North Shore, with customer base from the tristate area
  • Garden center on 4.8 acres at 3132 Lake St. in Wilmette, Ill.
  • Landscape division in North Chicago, Ill., is a 28,000-square-foot complex on 16 acres
  • Chalet Farms is a 183-acre growing nursery in Salem, Wis.
  • Approximately 300 to 350 employees seasonally and 100 full-time, year-round employees

Services Offered

  • Complete landscape and lawn services, including:
    • Design, installation and maintenance of gardens, yards, lawns, patios, pergolas, driveways, entryways, outdoor kitchens and rooms, water features
    • Arbor services
    • Organic lawn care and maintenance
    • Perennial garden maintenance
    • Customized holiday outdoor lighting
    • Customized containers and container gardens
  • Retail services, including:
    • Expert's Selection - Chalet-branded products - developed especially for Midwest soils. Grass seed, organic compost, leaf mulch, timed-release fertilizer and  potting soil
    • Superior quality and vast selection of plants, garden necessities, pet supplies, one-of-a-kind gifts and outdoor living accessories
    • Plant Health Care: Free pest and disease diagnosis with microscope and monitor so customers can see plant problems
    • Chalet Valet Rewards Program: award-winning informational newsletter, member discounts, special events
    • Chalet Concierge: personal service on special orders, returns, information requests
    • Custom containers, plants and gift baskets
    • Gift wrapping
    • New plant "Will call" and "We'll find it." Chalet will hunt down unusual or hard-to-find plants
    • Carry out and car loading
    • Home delivery and planting
    • Christmas tree delivery, installation and removal
    • Chalet Pet Essentials: pet food, treats, collars, leashes, beds, toys, etc.
    • Book Nook: comprehensive selection of gardening, horticultural, lifestyle and children's books
    • Special events, including Garden Faire, "Howl-O-Ween" Parade, Holiday Celebration Weekend
    • Education Center for hands-on workshops and complimentary lectures and tours that reach 3,000 adults and 700 children annually.
    • Education series is accredited as the only source outside the Illinois Extension Offices to award credits to Master Gardeners
    • Hundreds of complimentary fact sheets on plant culture, pests and diseases
  • Growing operation, including:
    • Produces hundreds of thousands of superior woody plants and perennials
    • Superior vegetables
    • Supplies plants installed in Chalet landscape designs and to customer via retail garden center

Community Initiatives

  • "Win a Landscape for a Cause" contest with North Shore magazine in 2009. Offered a garden of up to $100,000 retail value to an entity that serves a public good.
  • Provided pro bono landscape design services for the new Heritage Garden at the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana
  • Provides three university scholarships for the study of horticulture and landscape architecture, as well as two paid summer internships
  • Sponsors local sports teams
  • Provides hundreds of gift certificates and aid to local charities
  • Donations to Breast Cancer Research, Habitat for Humanity, food pantries, pet shelters, garden clubs, school programs, cause-related marketing events
  • Jennifer Brennan and Tony Fulmer share their expertise through print and broadcast media, and appear monthly as well as a regular presence on two major Chicago television news stations, including one with national audience exposure.
  • Provides speakers on gardening topics to community groups

Environmental Initiatives

  • Sponsored Chicago's 2007 Cool Globe Exhibit
  • Is a Certified Illinois Green Fleet company (more than 100 vehicles)
  • Recycles hundreds of tons of waste annually, including plastic pots, 78 tons of cardboard, 1,500 gallons of oil, 600 tires and hundreds of tons of steel
  • Composts virtually all of its landscape yard and plant materials waste for reuse
  • Carries approximately 17 brands and 80 products that are earth-friendly, including treatments, control products, repellants, soil amendments, mulches
  • Uses organic fertilizers for 75 percent of lawn care clients
  • Uses energy saving technology
  • Offers composted material for customers
  • Clean offices, store with organic and earth-friendly products
  • Offers organically-grown plant material
  • Offers/promotes locally sourced products
  • Educates customers on earth-friendly gardening and products
  • Hand waters instead of using wasteful overhead sprinklers

Staff Development

  • Chalet College: mandatory eight-week training session in winter
  • Professional training programs in leadership, management development, customer service and stress management
  • Tuition reimbursement program
  • High level of involvement in employee-run committees
  • All-staff field trips
  • Employee newsletters in both English and Spanish

Awards and Recognition

  • 4 Golds and "Judge's Award" - Best in Illinois - 2009 Illinois Landscape Contractor Association
  • National Winner of the 2009 Revolutionary 100 awards for garden centers in the United States: Today's Garden Center magazine
  • More Illinois Certified Nursery Professionals (25) than any other landscape firm/garden center in Illinois
  • Two Illinois Certified Nursery Professionals of the Year: Tony Fulmer in 2000 and Robert Milani in 2004
  • Illinois Landscape Contractors Association: four gold awards for residential construction and maintenance in 2008
  • Illinois Green Industry Association: two gold awards for spring and holiday merchandising displays
  • Nursery Retailer magazine: No. 1 independent garden center in Illinois and No. 16 in the country in 2008
  • Garden Center Retailer: 2007 "Innovator of the Year"
  • North Shore Magazine readers' polls: "Best Nursery" and "Best Landscape Firm"
  • Lawn & Landscape Magazine/Bayer Environmental Sciences 2003 Leadership Award: Bill Leuenberger, and also founding member of the Illinois Professional Lawncare Association and “Trailblazer” member (mentoring program) through PLANET

Memberships

  • American Nursery & Landscape Association
  • American Society of Landscape Architects
  • Illinois Green Industry Association
  • Illinois Landscape Contractor's Association
  • Illinois Turfgrass Foundation
  • Midwest Ecological Landscape Association
  • Professional Landcare Network
  • Vistage/TEC
  • Garden Retailers Performance Group/Xscend
  • Wilmette and North Chicago Chambers of Commerce
  • Wisconsin Nursery Association
  • Wisconsin Turfgrass Association