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About us

About us

Our History

Rutgers Landscape & Nursery was founded in 1986 by 19-year-old Jim Brophy, who began it all with a push mower, some leaf rakes, a group of friends from Rutgers University, and his mother’s 1971 Chevy Impala. The Mets won the World Series that year, so Jim thought that anything was possible!
 
Jim had worked several part-time jobs in landscaping while he attended Rutgers University, and developed an interest in plants and the outdoors. Determined to improve the professionalism of this industry, and seeing a need for high quality, dependable landscaping, he decided to start his own business.
 
The early years were a challenge, with very little capital or equipment. Jim recalls the hours that he and his friends spent manually raking and digging, to the point that their hands would actually bleed by the end of the day! With their hands now well healed, these friends that helped Jim launch his business look back fondly on their early years with Rutgers Landscape & Nursery, and admire the growth and success that the company has enjoyed. Though no longer a part of the current Rutgers staff, they have all become successful executives and even CEOs of large companies, who are still friends with Jim today.
 
Upon graduation from Rutgers, Jim already had eight full-time employees on staff. Two years later, Jim purchased the Victorian farmhouse and surrounding eight acres on Route 31 in Ringoes, using the profits he had saved from his college years. With this acquisition, he expanded his business to include a retail Nursery. Today this property houses the studios of Rutgers Landscape Design, and acres of materials and display gardens.
In 1992, Rutgers Nursery opened to the public. Though it had a modest start, the company grew quickly based on its philosophy of providing great value for every customer. Good was never an option… from the very beginning, and to this day, great is the only goal at Rutgers. This philosophy truly means something special to the staff at Rutgers; while perfection may be an impossible goal, we know that greatness is well within our reach. Our success is driven by our integrity and our commitment to providing every customer with a great experience.
 
The attention to detail and excellent customer care at Rutgers Landscape & Nursery has fueled rapid growth despite economic dips, and the company continues to thrive and expand because of its extraordinary staff and leadership. In 2005, a 12-acre parcel of land was purchased on Route 202 in Ringoes to house and expand the growing retail operation. The Nursery subsequently moved to this new property in 2007 — the place with those big yellow chairs! With this newly acquired space, Rutgers also began to grow their own nursery stock.
 
The expansion continued in 2013 with the acquisition of a 62-acre farm in nearby Stockton, from which Rutgers Landscape & Nursery now grows most of its own stock. Jim has planted more than 20,000 trees so far, including many items that are new to the East Coast!
 
At Rutgers Landscape & Nursery, our vision continues to be “Greatness” — to be among the top Nursery firms in the country by offering vigorous, healthy plants to our customers and a fun, rewarding place for our employees to work. We aim to be an environmental steward of our property, soil, and water resources, and we believe that we can leverage both our profit and employee talent to help our neighbors, public resource managers, school children, and legislators to understand that conservation is in everyone’s best interest. It is our professional and personal obligation to future generations. We are really excited about our future.

Our Team

Rutgers Landscape 2019 crew group photo in front of a white building with a cedar-shingle roof, most members wearing red hoodies, with bare trees and cloudy sky in the background

Rutgers Warranty

Our trees, shrubs, and perennials are covered by warranty when you plant with Bumper Crop®.

Expertise
When planted by Rutgers Nursery:
tree & shrubs 2 years.
Expertise
When you plant it:
tree & shrubs 1 year
Expertise
Perennials, laurels crape myrtles, native flowering, dogwoods, rhododendrons, japanese hollies, park grade plants:
3 months
Expertise
Transplants, annuals, houseplants, tropicals, figs, vines, groundcovers:
No Warranty

Warranty value is issued as store credit in the amount of the original purchase price of the plant, less any discounts and not including any other costs such as labor. Credit may be used towards any purchase and does not expire.

For plants planted by Rutgers Nursery, we offer free of charge the labor to remove and replant one time only. Warranty does not guarantee availability of any specific product.

We’re here to help

If your plants do not look up to par or if you have any questions regarding your plant’s health, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Send photos of the whole plant, the surrounding area, and a closeup of any concerns. Include your name, and a description of the site’s conditions including sun exposure, watering schedule, and animal or insect activity.

contact us

Our Nursery associates and Customer Care Team are always available for advice and consultation regarding the health of your plants. To help you find success, we rely on you for information regarding site conditions that will decide the right plant for the right place. We also need your help to water the plants! For more about necessary care and growing conditions, refer to our care guides, or ask one of our associates.

Warranty

Receipt/proof of purchase is required. We recommend opening an account with us to track your purchase history.

Plants are covered when purchased on the same receipt as Bumper Crop® Organic Soil Builder. Unfortunately, there are some things we cannot cover:

  • Plants purchased with warranty credit.
  • Plants purchased on landscaper or contractor accounts.
  • Loss or damages from weather, such as wind, cold temperatures, precipitation, flooding, drought, or anything else beyond our control.
  • Loss or damages from failure to water.
  • Animal, insect, or disease damage.
  • Annuals, Houseplants, and Tropicals.
  • Any plants planted in containers.

What is Bumper Crop®?

When you purchase and plant with Bumper Crop® Organic Soil Builder, any plants purchased on the same receipt will be covered by our warranty.

We are confident in this product as insurance for your plants! Bumper Crop® Organic Soil Builder contains a variety of natural composts to build beneficial soil biology and amendments that improve all soil types, including our local clay soil, by promoting drainage while still retaining moisture.

We also recommend Bumper Crop® Starter Food as the fertilizer of choice for new plants.

Career Opportunities

Rutgers Landscape and Nursery is interested in people who are highly motivated, team oriented, and willing to learn.  We’re always on the lookout for exceptional people to join our team—even when we’re not actively hiring. Our company prides itself on our culture and being professional and being NICE. We have three locations in beautiful Hunterdon County, NJ, all within 45 minutes of Philadelphia and one hour of New York City. The Rutgers Landscape Division is located on Route 31 in Ringoes, NJ; Rutgers Nursery is located just 3/4 miles up the road on Route 202, also in Ringoes; and our 62-acre Growing Farm is located close by in Stockton, NJ, where we grow thousands of trees and shrubs for our customers.

Rutgers Landscape Inc., Rutgers Nursery Inc., and Rutgers Tree Growers Inc. are well-established landscape, nursery, and farm businesses. Since 1986, we have built our industry experience with a highly trained, experienced, and skilled work force, along with new property acquisitions that have expanded our growing operations. Rutgers is poised for continued growth. This growth within our existing markets and expansion into new markets requires “team oriented” professionals seeking a company culture that fosters personal, professional, and financial growth.

What we offer…

  • Unlimited growth potential with a firm that believes in promoting from within.
  • A company culture that promotes being NICE, as well as green industry professionalism.
  • A management team that is forward thinking, has a clear vision for planned growth, has both short- and long-term goals and objectives, and delivers these results.
  • A competitive starting salary with excellent benefits, profit sharing, and discretionary bonus program.

What we require…

  • Individuals who are NICE and share the values and vision of the company.
  • Individuals who are team and goal-oriented leaders.

If you feel a connection to who we are and what we do, we encourage you to apply. Some of our best team members joined us before there was ever a formal job posting. That’s because we believe great people are worth making space for. While experience and skills are important, they’re only one part of what we consider when hiring. We place just as much value on personality, attitude, and how you interact with others. We’re especially drawn to individuals who are energetic, have a positive outlook, are eager to learn, and work well with a team. If you believe you’d be a great fit, don’t wait —your next opportunity might be right here.

Apply today, we’d love to meet you! To learn more about career opportunities at Rutgers Landscape and Nursery, please contact us via the form at right. You may also send a letter of inquiry along with a resumé to Jim at brophyj@RutgersLN.com.

positions available:

• Nursery Sales Manager

• Nursery Buyer

• Nursery Inventory Control Associate

• Nursery Sales Associate

• Nursery Cashier

• Nursery Operations Manager

• Nursery Designer and Estimator

• Nursery Assistant Operations Manager

• Nursery Delivery Associate

• Nursery Planting Manager

• Nursery Production Staff Member

Rutgers Landscape Available Positions

• Landscape Architect

• Administrative Manager

• Administrative Assistant

• Receptionist

• Customer Service Manager

• Landscape Designer Sales Manager

• Landscape Designer Salesperson

• Landscape Designer Assistant Salesperson

• Landscape Lead Generation Specialist

• Landscape Operations Manager

• Landscape Foreman

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