Top Workplaces 2025: The Midwest Companies Cultivates Growth and Consensus
The Midwest Companies is ranked 39th among small employers on the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list. The company started in 1969 on a 5-acre plot and has since expanded to 700 acres of nursery facilities across St. Charles and Virgil, Illinois, and Glenn, Michigan.
They specialize in growing and distributing plants to landscape architects and professionals through Midwest Groundcovers. Recently, they added Midwest Trading Horticultural Supplies, producing and selling soil to nurseries and horticultural operations. Both operate under The Midwest Companies, a family business founded by Peter Orum and his wife, Irma.
Today, the company is managed by their daughter, Christa Orum-Keller, and her husband, Craig. The nurseries' plants have been used in multiple landscaping projects, including Chicago’s Millennium Park Lurie Garden and other locations across the Midwest.
“Defining the company culture is vital to having a successful business and ensuring we find the best employees for the job.” — Christa Orum-Keller
Employee Role and Company Culture
At the nurseries, employees care for shrubs, flowers, and other plants used in landscape projects. The strong company culture, emphasized by leadership, plays a key role in their success and attracting top talent.
Recognition
- Ranked 39th among small employers by Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces 2025
- Ranking measured by Energage in Exton, Pennsylvania
The Midwest Companies combines deep family roots with strategic growth to thrive in the horticulture industry and maintain a positive workplace environment.
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