36 CHESTER COUNTY PRESS - MUSHROOM GUIDE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021
Ramping up op Greenwood Mushrooms b By Chris Barber Contributing Writer
Like a host of other mushroom operations in southern Chester County, Greenwood Mushrooms evolved from a one-man operation more than 60 years ago into a diverse company that produces a lot of mushrooms. At this point in the company’s evolution, it produces 16 million pounds of mushrooms a year. During the course of the expansion and modernization, Greenwood has added variety to its offerings, as well as shipping throughout the United States with its own truck fleet. This company in Kennett Township is run by second-generation owners Louis Marson and his wife Patricia, and their three sons, Louis, Chris and Matt. Matt Marson, who discussed the company’s founding, said his grandfather grew mushrooms and passed that skill onto his son, Louis, Matt’s father. In the 1960s, Louis (the father) rented a couple of mushroom houses—called doubles—and used his acquired skills to grow mushrooms on a small scale for retail. It was not until the three sons reached their young adulthood in the early-1990s that they ramped up the operations for wholesale and shipping. At that point, they also changed the name of the company from LMI to Greenwood Mushrooms. It just seemed right, Matt said, because the boys had all gone to Greenwood Elementary School and they were located in an area where the name “Greenwood” is on roadways and places. By 2003, the company had doubled its capacity. They now have 56 growing houses—with 448,000 square feet of production space. Louis and his wife Patricia are in their late 70s now, and they are still on the scene, arriving at work every day at 7 a.m., Matt said. However, the lion’s share of the management is divided into the business end for Matt and the shared growing responsibilities for the younger Louis and Continued on Page 38 A set of new air conditioners ensures that temperatures remain good inside the mushroom houses.
