Mebane Mulch – A One-Stop Shop

Mebane Mulch Plus, Inc., dba Mebane Shrubbery, prides themselves on being the landscaper’s one stop shop. The company went under new ownership last summer – owner, Susan Hayward working alongside her husband W.A. took over the business with the same commitment to the customer that the company had become known for since it’s opening in 1971. Previously known as Mebane Shrubbery Market, Inc., the company offers mulch delivery, rock, sand, cement, pipe, wheat straw, pine needles, fertilizer, grass seed, herbicides, insecticides, and a stocked greenhouse as well as a hardware and garden center storefront, where they even sell ice cream, fresh roasted peanuts, muscadine cider and pecans.

A differentiating factor of Mebane Mulch is their on-site processing. Behind the storefront, they have their processing plant where they recycle pallets into mulch. They process their mulch from different types of wood such as Cedar, Red Oak and Hardwood. After they are through the entire mulch making process, they are able to sell to wholesalers, retailers, farmers and growers alike. They will then haul their product to resellers all across the East Coast – from NJ to GA. As the Haywards experiment with their processing techniques, they continue to develop ideas on how to make their business and products better, one of which being an upcoming project on how to streamline processing throughout their yard with more automation. The purpose for this would be to handle the material the least amount of times possible by achieving the goal of one-time handling.

When the Haywards took over Mebane Mulch, they brought in the Gregory Poole team immediately to help expand their Cat fleet. WA comes from a gravel background, and has used Cat machines throughout his life. The familiarity and reliability led the company to purchasing several machines in the last few months. The fleet consists of 2 938K wheel loaders, a 908M compact wheel loader, a D3K dozer, a 320E excavator, and multiple grinders from Peterson Pacific, that run on Cat engines. It is important for Mebane Mulch to be able to rely on their machines to be up and running to keep the business moving, which is why they trust the Gregory Poole team to be there for them. Now that the company has all these machines in their fleet, the employees can feel the energy changing as well. As Susan said, “there is an excitement by the sound of all the equipment running.”

In the Winter months, some companies may have slowed down, but Mebane Mulch had plenty of projects going on. In addition to the mulch making operations continuing out back, the greenhouse was growing ferns, selling winter vegetables, and selling poinsettias of several different colors and varieties. With builders such as LGI and Dan Ryan building housing communities in the areas, Mebane Mulch has stayed busy working with the landscapers and new customers moving into the area. The company has also been known to help with some special requests from their customers, such as storing some larger plants that do not fare so well in the winter weather, like olive trees. The philosophy of the company is truly based on the customer experience and the community needs.

Many of the customers have been customers for over 40 years, since the company first originated in 1971. It is important to the Haywards that they continue the commitment to the community and continue to successfully gain the support from their community as a whole.

Those close relationships are also present with all the Gregory Poole employees that Mebane Mulch works with. They are constantly in communication with their representatives from Gregory Poole, and both sides are highly involved and want to help each other. Mebane Mulch works with Gregory Poole for everything from Machine Sales to Product Support to Used Parts. There is a lot of opportunity for the two companies to work together and keep business running smoothly.

As with anyone who takes over a company, there is an adjustment period. However, the Haywards are no strangers to a quick adjustment! In 2002, Susan and WA adopted a sibling group of 4 children. The couple met the children, spent the next few days getting car seats, preparing the house, and preparing themselves as much as possible, to taking the 4 kids home with them only 4 days later. The passion the Haywards have for their family is the same passion that radiates into the community and their company at Mebane Mulch.