Rittenhouse Celebrates 100 Years of Business

In recent years, Canadians have seen the demise of such national institutions as Simpsons, Eatons and Zellers. While the gardening world has also had its share, vide garden centres White Rose, Weall & Cullen, others celebrate one hundred years of serving Canadians with what they want. Last year it was Sheridan Nurseries. Now 2014 marks a hundred years of business for St. Catharines, Ontario-based M. K. Rittenhouse & Sons or the perhaps more familiar ‘Rittenhouse Since 1914.’

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The company first saw the light of day at Vineland Station in that year, founded by Moses Kienzle Rittenhouse. The son of a farmer and Mennonite minister, he was born May 1884 in Vineland, a direct descendant of one of the first settlers of the Twenty Valley in the agriculturally rich Niagara Peninsular that was to become famous for its fruit orchards and, a century later, for its vineyards. Today, a Wikipedia entry notes. Rittenhouse still provides spraying equipment and agricultural tools to local farmers, and there is scarcely a farm in the Niagara Region that does not, or has not in the past used a Rittenhouse sprayer.

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After serving in World War II sons Glen and Frank joined Moses in the family business and continued to design, patent and manufacture agricultural equipment through another forty years – expanding to the greenhouse, nursery and lawncare industries. In 1985, the company was joined by Glen's youngest son, Mark, to carry on the family tradition. Soon after the company moved to a larger location in nearby St. Catharines. Moses K. Rittenhouse died in that ‘Garden City’ 17 May 1980. Using the knowledge of three generations, Rittenhouse has broadened its customer base to include golf courses, forestry and parks. In 1991 Rittenhouse entered a new era with the launch of the Rittenhouse Buyers Guide. This catalogue soon became the industry’s favourite resources for innovative and quality products. As private homeowners began purchasing products from the Buyer’s Guide, Rittenhouse noticed a demand for professional tools to be available to the avid gardener and launched a Garden Tools division in 1999. Entering its one hundred year, Rittenhouse’s revenue has been estimated at $7,500,000 with 15 employees to take care of the numerous orders flowing in to the website, ww.rittenhouse.ca

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