A family tradition passed down through generations inspired an idea, and from there a successful partnership was born.
Sean Macalister met Jeff Ferguson in 2005. They became fast friends and both were enrolled in the Bachelor of Science Forestry program at the University of British Columbia. They soon discovered that they worked well together and had a similar visions and aspirations. While taking a business course with Dr. Robert Kozak, Professor, Department of Wood Science; they partnered on an assignment that involved creating a business plan. Their business idea outlined a need for a greener alternative to traditional cut Christmas trees and believed that a living Christmas tree is the eco-conscious solution. The business plan assignment was well received and EVERGROW Christmas Trees Co. was established in November of 2009.
Every Christmas, the Maccalister family would buy a live tree from a local garden centre, enjoy its beauty throughout the holidays and after plant the tree in their backyard; many of these trees are still thriving today. This childhood tradition was a special memory of Sean’s that later became a vision for this future endeavor. “Knowing these trees didn’t die, they were able to live on, is a very special thing”. Sean liked the idea of families who display live trees in their homes for Christmas, but wanted to produce a greener option by providing living trees.
The vision to create EVERGROW Christmas Trees Co. was underway. Sean and Jeff had everything set up within two months’ and when they opened their doors the success was immediate! They sold out of their stock in the first year and caught media waves across Canada and internationally. They were pleasantly overwhelmed with the attention they received, responding to news crews as far away as Germany and France.
EVERGROW is based in Burnaby, BC, and serves Vancouver and the surrounding area. Beyond the busy Christmas season, they work to maintain and care for the trees at a nursery in the Fraser Valley growing 150-200 trees per year. After Christmas they plant the trees so they can continue to live a healthy life and to be used again the following year. The knowledge Sean and Jeff gained through their education at the Faculty of Forestry has been critical to their success and many of the seasonal staff employed are UBC Forestry students. EVERGROW has cultivated an exceptionally loyal customer base as the company flourishes into its 5th year in business. Some of their trees were featured at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, BC and in the movie Christmas Story 2.
As far as offering any advice to young alumni or current Forestry students interested in starting a business; Sean notes the many pros and cons involved in running your own company, how it takes a lot of hard work, time and dedication, and can be a rewarding yet exhausting experience. “It takes a certain individual to start a business; you have to give it your all”. He speaks about the excitement of never knowing exactly how things are going to turn out, if your business will be successful, what the future holds. Sean also mentions that having a business partner for him was key. They already knew they worked well together from their time at UBC, and it gave them extra motivation and support while in transition. Utilizing each other’s skillset, bouncing ideas off one another, teamwork was what it was all about. “Running your own company is so much fun, an amazing challenge and very rewarding”.
Jeff has relocated to Revelstoke, BC so Sean is now running EVERGROW solely, however they are still in contact and Jeff works occasionally with EVERGROW.