ABOUT
Proven Winners®
A NEW ERA OF Growth
Proven Winners® is a global plant brand that introduces the industry’s leading annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, houseplants and bulbs to the market through a network of top propagators.
Our brand combines extensive experience, innovative thinking and world-class customer service to ensure professional growers and home gardeners have the most efficient tools and dynamic growing solutions for ongoing success.
Find Proven Winners plants sold in our signature white branded container in garden centers throughout North America.
Tom & Sharon Smith
Founders
Jeff & Henry Huntington
Founders
A Brief History of Proven Winners®
Proven Winners® was founded in 1992 by Proven Winners Carleton (formerly Four Star Greenhouse, owned by the Smith family) and Proven Winners Loudon (formerly Pleasant View Gardens, owned by the Huntington family). The goal then was the same as it remains today: to introduce the best, most unique, high performing plants, produce them under strict quality standards, and implement innovative marketing strategies to promote them to the world.
Tom Smith of Proven Winners Carleton first began growing plants in 1977, focusing mostly on finished crops of bedding plants grown from seed and sold at local markets. The Huntington family began Proven Winners Loudon in 1976, growing plants for local florists.
Together in 1992, they founded the Proven Winners brand on the premise that unique annuals could be bred for garden performance and produced vegetatively to ensure uniformity for growers around the world. Over 30 years later, Proven Winners has become The #1 Plant Brand® and The Brand Gardeners Trust®.
Proven Winners’ Brand Partners
Together with two licensees in Canada, Nordic Nurseries and Ed Sobkowich Greenhouses, Proven Winners Carleton and Proven Winners Loudon produce superior annual liners under the Proven Winners brand name.
Proven Winners has also formed partnerships with industry leaders in additional categories including:
- Spring Meadow Nursery – Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs
- Walters Gardens – Proven Winners® perennials
- Classic Caladiums – Heart to Heart® caladiums
- The Plant Company – leafjoy® houseplants
- Netherland Bulb Company – Proven Winners® bulbs
- Pure Line Seeds – Proven Winners® vegetables
- Power Planter® – Twist ‘n Plant® garden augers
- Jack Barnwell Design – AquaPots® and Inserts
- VistaTek – Eco+® plastic-free containers and tags
Proven Winners Today
Proven Winners ushered in a new era of growth in October 2025, beginning the next chapter under a new ownership structure for the brand. By combining forces under one company — Proven Winners® — the Smith and Huntington families now work in partnership with Staple Street Capital to deliver greater simplicity, scale and service for growers, retailers and consumers.
By pooling resources, our brand has the ability to develop additional national programs, enhanced ordering and distribution tools, and stronger marketing to drive consumer demand. A key focus is expanding reach into underserved markets, making it easier for everyone to access the brand.
Our mission remains the same as always: to make gardening easy, successful and inspiring for everyone through the introduction of plants that deliver superior garden performance. While we remain rooted in our founding culture, we’re just getting started. We are excited for what the future will bring and appreciate your trust in Proven Winners.
