History

Vite Greenhouses is owned by brothers Jerome, Don, and Greg Vite. The company has a rich and interesting history that began with their father and mother, Bill and Madeline. Bill was a second-generation vegetable farmer who sold his produce at the Farmer's Market in South Bend, IN, and the roadside stand at the farm. His very first hothouse was built on a flatbed wagon. The kids planted cantelope seeds in Jiffy wafers and he'd start them early to get a headstart for planting in the field. This practice helped him develop quite a muskmelon business selling wholesale to local grocers and the Benton Harbor produce market. Jerome, Don, Greg, and sister, Vicki, provided vital help while still at home but eventually each left for college in the early-1980's and then their own ways into the corporate world and far away from the farm.

Bill and Maddy "retooled" and built a greenhouse where they grew hydroponic tomatoes and seedless cucumbers with great success. Those first greenhouse experiences led to growing bedding plants and vegetable plants and selling them at their roadside stand and at the Farmer's Market. In the course of time, each son left his career in the marketplace and migrated back to the farm with their own families to join in the greenhouse operation. Today, the brothers and their families are neighbors to each other and live on the farm they grew up on. The continued success of Vite Greenhouses is a result of the values each family shares: Faith in God, commitment to family, and hard work.