La Verne Nursery, Inc.

La Verne Nursery began in the early 1970s when Dieter Lodder began grafting ornamental pears at night on his kitchen table in La Verne, California. With his wife, Monikas assistance, he was able to produce enough grafts to fill the orders that had begun trickling in. Most of the early orders were delivered out of the trunk of their car. By 1972, income from sales of grafted plants was equal to the income from Dieters day job and he decided to go into business for himself full-time; hence La Verne Nursery Inc. was born.