We asked some of our long-time small business customers why they chose — and continue to choose — Wellmark for their health coverage. Here's the story of the family-owned business, Nick's Greenhouse.
When you own a small business, some things are consistent across all industries: long days, personal sacrifices and the pride of ownership. But some things, like the twice-daily coffee times that are attended by both staff and members of the public might be unique to Nick’s Greenhouse External Site in Pella, Iowa. Nick Branderhost, Jr., who owns the business with his wife Lynn, sticks to his Dutch roots and shouts “coffee time” at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. every day and people come to chat and caffeinate.
It’s that type of community that is at the heart of Nick’s Greenhouse, which has been in business since 1953. For 66 years, the Branderhost family has been helping Iowans celebrate life’s highs and commemorate the lows with flower arrangements, plants and through the wide variety of gifts they sell. The business was started by Nick’s parents and currently has three full-time employees and three part-time employees who are all like family.
So, when it came time to select health plan benefits, Nick knew it needed to be special. Lynn did her research and was happy to find a group can be as small as two people. The Branderhosts felt like Wellmark plans were developed for the small business mentality and that Wellmark understands small businesses. They sat with their agent and discovered Wellmark checked all the boxes. Nick also liked the ability to add dental into their plan, especially as they are aging and more health care will eventually be needed.
“Wellmark makes it easy for us,” says Nick. “And that helps when you are working 18-hour days.” They provided a budget to their agent and she was able to find a plan that worked within that budget. “Wellmark is user-friendly and works for us,” adds Lynn.
Looking for coverage for your small business?
Choosing the right benefits for your business is a big decision. Look at the benefits options for businesses with 1-50 employees Opens in a new window and find the package that works best for you.
If you have any questions, contact your authorized Wellmark representative, or email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com Send Email.
About the series
We wanted to learn more about why some of our long-time small business customers continue to choose Wellmark for their health coverage in their own words. Trust, shared values, experience, longevity and understanding continually came to the forefront.
Thank you to Nick's Greenhouse for sharing their story with us.
