Who hasn’t experienced the tiny heartbreak of bringing home fresh-cut flowers, only to watch them wither and fade within a few days? Andy Matsui, an intuitive and innovative grower, decided to change that. He turned the floral industry on its head by trading short-lived cuts for potted longevity. At the time, living orchids were considered an exclusive, fragile tropical luxury. But Andy saw something different: a plant that was resilient, elegant, and built to last.
Andy was no stranger to hard work. After immigrating to Northern California from Japan in 1964, he worked as a field hand alongside his family. After three years of long hours and careful saving, they purchased 50 acres in the Salinas Valley and built their own greenhouse operation.
Facing tough competition from traditional cut flowers like roses, Andy made a deeply personal choice. In 1998, Matsui Nursery launched the nation’s very first grocery store orchid program, bringing greenhouse-grown luxury right to the supermarket shelf. By developing a unique potting blend that allowed the roots to breathe, the family made orchids remarkably easy to care for. Suddenly, anyone could enjoy pristine blooms for up to three months, transforming an exotic indulgence into an accessible piece of home décor.
Today, Andy’s daughter Teresa leads the expanded 70-acre operation, carrying that vision forward. Yet for the Matsuis, success has never been just about beautiful flowers. It’s about giving back to the community that first welcomed them. Through the Matsui Foundation, the family has funded more than $8 million in college scholarships for local students and farmworker families. They also donated $20 million in land to the local community college—the largest single gift ever made to a California community college.
A Matsui orchid from our floral department is more than a beautiful plant. It represents a true American success story, shaped by hard work and a huge heart.
Recently, we caught up with Teresa to learn more about her journey and hear her advice for fellow entrepreneurs.
1. Why did you start Matsui Nursery?
My parents, Andy and Mary Matsui, started Matsui Nursery in 1967 as a cut chrysanthemum nursery. My parents (and I) emigrated from Japan in the early 1960s. As the eldest son, my dad was supposed to inherit the small family farm. When he told his mother he was leaving, she told him he would no longer have the farm to come home to, because it would now go to his younger brother. There was no Plan B for him, so he had to make the flower nursery in California work.
2. What obstacles did you face along the way?
The biggest challenges came from market disruptions. Cut chrysanthemums declined in popularity, so my parents switched to growing roses. Their roses went as far as the White House in the 1980s! But foreign competition from Central and South American flower growers decimated the U.S. cut flower industry. So, in the mid-1990s, when my parents were in their mid-60s (the age when many people retire), they decided to make one final transition to potted orchids. Matsui Nursery is now the premier grower of quality potted orchids in the U.S.
3. What lessons do you have for other entrepreneurs?
Know who you are and the values you represent. That should inform all your decisions, so you operate with integrity, in all senses of the word.
4. What's on the horizon for Matsui Nursery?
We're constantly experimenting and bringing on new orchid varieties to surprise and delight our customers and their shoppers. Over the coming months and years, look for new colors, blooms, and arrangements from Matsui Nursery orchids at Bristol Farms.
5. How do you keep work/life balance? What drives/inspires you?
Flowers are the perfect reminder to stop and take a moment—to pause, to breathe, to reflect, to dream. They aren't necessities per se, but shouldn't we all have a little bit of natural beauty in our spaces?
I take inspiration each day from our team members who put heart, pride, and soul into Matsui Nursery orchids. There really is a difference!
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