Our company started in 1919 when James Masson bought a 15,000 sq. ft greenhouse on 82nd street in Kansas City, Kansas. His son Alex R. Masson later joined him to help grow one of the first wholesale plant producing greenhouses west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rockies. His sons, R. Alexander Masson and brother James Masson continued the growth through the turn of the century.

We withstood tough growing conditions - Even during the Great Depression of the 1930's our company prospered, growing and selling flowering plants to retail florists throughout Kansas and Missouri.

By focusing on quality, variety, and customer service, our growth continued. By 1968, our newly incorporated company grew to three acres. In 1972, the headquarters moved to Linwood, Kansas with another three acre greenhouse. That's when we Alex R. Masson introduced the "Sunflower Sue" brand, one of the first few U.S. growers to provide identification for consumers.

We grew with the plant boom of the 1970's, adding three more acres of greenhouse and two more facilities at Linwood. We ventured into supermarket and mass market retailers with brand name products, began packaging plant care accessories, and started producing tropical foliage. During the 1980's, we added two branches in Las Cruces New Mexico and Radium Springs for year round plant production. Throughout the 1990's and beyond, Alex R. Masson, Inc. grew to ship fifteen states. Mark and Andrea Illausky came on board in 2008. They plan to continue to pursue the goals from the past, yet revolutionize the systems and operations of the business-under the name of Alex R. Masson-Wholesale Grower, taking it well into the future. They have started a new brand called Free State Grown, which you may start seeing in the stores.

The facility in Radium Springs has become it's own company-Masson Farms of New Mexico, Inc. owned by R. Alexander Masson which services the southwest part of the country. They have also kept the Sunflower Sue logo for their company.

We have become a leading producer and wholesale distributor of year round blooming potted plants, tropical foliage plants, designer upgraded products, and plant care accessories. Annuals, perennials, and garden mums have become a part of our ever expanding product line. We have our own dedicated fleet of trucks to insure on time deliveries. Over the past few years we have decreased our geographic shipping areas, focusing on our own community. We are shipping closer to home to ensure our plants quality and freshness. We are moving towards a cart based shipping system, which has contributed to us using almost 50% less cardboard than we did 3 years ago. We are still growing after 93 years, so our roots are stable for a strong future.