on the job

A Family's Trees

>>German settlers introduced the concept of the Christmas tree to America in the first half of the 19th century, but it was America's enterprising spirit that turned the concept into a business. By 1851, they were being sold commercially, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. A little more than a century later, Russ Whited of Fort Myers started Whited's "Farm Fresh" Christmas Trees Inc. With his son, Chris, and his grandchildren, the business has grown over the past 37 years as a purveyor not only of trees, but also of Christmas spirit; they decorate trees, homes, businesses and housing communities. Chris explains how the business has evolved.

How did your father get involved in the business? Back in the 1960s and '70s, everyone in the area bought their trees from the Optimist Club, underneath the bridge by Centennial Park. My father started by selling trees with them before starting his own business.

What are everyone's roles? I manage the tree lot and the commercial-decorating aspect of the business. My 24-year-old son works with me with the decorating, and my 23-year-old daughter helps manage the lot. I also have a 16-year-old who works as a cashier, and even the seven-year-old likes to come out and help.

What does selling Christmas trees in South Florida entail? We purchase our trees from farms in Oregon, North Carolina and Michigan. They are brought in by truck in refrigerated trailers. Keeping the temperature at 38 to 42 degrees during the journey allows the trees to stay dormant so that they do not age. Being that we are the only indoor Christmas tree lot in the area, we are able to keep them in water while they wait to be sold.

How did you start the decorating? About 20 years ago, we started getting requests from our customers: "You're putting the tree up; why can't you put the lights on?" and it went from there.

Where can your work be viewed? We cover 60 trees with lights at First Assembly Church for the holiday season, and at Bayfront in Naples there are 72 palms lit year-round. We also do a lot of work for the cities of Naples, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers, the Sugden [Community Theatre] and Fifth Avenue.

To what do you attribute Whited's success? The money that we make here, we spend here with our friends and neighbors. That is how my father has always done business.

-Nisha Barlow