Atlas Acquires Stuppy

Chris Beytes

Consolidation news in the greenhouse structure world, as Atlas Greenhouse of Alapaha, Georgia, acquired one of the oldest names in the U.S. greenhouse world, Stuppy Greenhouse of North Kansas City, Missouri. Combined, the two firms represent nearly 200 years of industry knowledge and experience—but Stuppy, founded in 1873, accounts for more than three-quarters of that history!

The press release offered a few important tidbits about the deal, including the fact that customers will “continue to have full access to both the Atlas and Stuppy product lines, supported by the same trusted teams, engineering expertise and service standards they have come to expect.”

“Our focus is simple—strengthen what customers already value while expanding what we can deliver,” said John Edwards, CEO of Atlas and now of both companies. “By combining Atlas and Stuppy, we bring together decades of engineering excellence, manufacturing capability and customer commitment. This is a win for our customers and a win for the industry.”

The combined company will continue to support a diverse customer base, from agriculture and ornamental commercial growers to retail garden centers, educational institutions and research facilities.

“I have the privilege of being part of a family business that has adapted to change for 153 years,” said Matt Stuppy, the fifth-generation owner of Stuppy Greenhouse, on the decision to sell.  “Fortunately, some of the collective wisdom made its way to me. One thing I learned is that a business must constantly evaluate customer, employee and community needs, and then adapt to meet those needs. Over the last two years, I asked myself and many other people questions about the current state and future of the greenhouse market. It became clear to me that new capabilities and products were needed to address future requirements. To achieve that, going solo or collaborating with partners in the industry were both options. In taking the path of collaboration, Atlas Greenhouse became a clear favorite of mine. Both companies share similar cultures and visions of becoming more impactful in the industry. I believe we will achieve more together than apart.”

Asked if he will continue to stay on, Matt said, “I will continue to work in and on the business. There is much to do and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do it.”
As for Atlas, John said this at to what they’re gaining in the Stuppy buy: “We are bringing together two trusted businesses and expanding our structural portfolio with additions such as the Venlo-style Pro Line, AeroMax, and the Rainbow Plus and Super lines. The combination strengthens our overall product offering and market reach.”

As of now, they will not be consolidating their manufacturing at Atlas’s Georgia headquarters … at least for now.

“We will continue operating both locations while building synergies through combined purchasing power and operational efficiencies,” John said. “Our focus is producing high-quality products in the most efficient manner possible, utilizing both facilities.”

Not to leave out the Atlas history, the company was founded in 1986 by J.C. Browning. Mark Davis joined the company in 1992 and became general manager 10 years later. In 2008, he bought the business from J.C. In late 2022, Mark brought on investment partner Mangrove Equity. In the news of that event, he said, “We are excited about our partnership with Mangrove and look forward to investing in our team, continuing to provide best-in-class greenhouses to our customers and taking Atlas to new heights.” GT