FOR SALE SIGN PLANTED

Homegrown business, Madison Avenue Greenhouse, remains open for now

Madison Avenue Greenhouse has been a part of Ed Nemeth’s life for the better part of 50 years.

The 101-year-old Painesville Township nursery at 905 Madison Ave. is alive and well, coming off its best late spring/early summer season in years. Shortly after the rush, however, he put up a “For sale” sign.

“I’m getting old,” said Nemeth, 65, who started working there at age 15. “This is getting a little hard for me to do.”

The nursery comprises multiple greenhouses — brought over from London by original owners Wilson & Foster — 4 cleared acres in the back and a horse barn. He owns three horses.

“That’s another reason to get out,” he said. “I want to devote more time to the horses. I want to walk the Appalachian Trail. I want to learn to fly. But I ain’t getting any younger.”

His hope is to find a buyer who wants to run the business. He acquired it in 1989 and has accumulated a devoted staff of nine.

While many other businesses suffered during the coronavirus closures, his nursery flourished. He has a theory as to why.

“When I bought the place, people didn’t travel a lot,” he said. “They stayed home and fixed things up in their yard and enjoyed their lifestyle at home. People started traveling more and our business went down.

“This year was (like) the old-fashioned times when everybody stayed home.”

When asked if he’d sell to a developer, he responded, “It wouldn’t be my first choice.”

Painesville Township Trustee Josh Pennock, who lives nearby, said the narrow width of the lot may make it less desirable for residential development.

“To put homes on the property, someone would most likely have to construct a road on one side and put homes on the opposite side,” he said. “The cost to build a road with houses on just one side can be prohibitive.”

Nemeth doesn’t anticipate a quick change of hands. He already has invested in crops for next spring.

“It’s been kind to me,” he said. “I’ve had hard years, but I’ve always been able to pay my bills.”

PHOTOS BY BETSY SCOTT — THE NEWS-HERALD Ed Nemeth, owner of Madison Avenue Greenhouse in Painesville Township, is looking to retire. Ed Nemeth unloads garden items at his Madison Avenue Greenhouse in Painesville Township.