RoozenGaarde® - About Us

William Roozen emigrated from Holland in 1947 with years of experience in the bulb industry. He had a good back, strong hands, and a heart pulsing with dreams. Roozen started a bulb farm on five acres of land, holding meetings in a garage and toiling long hours beside a few hired hands. He saved money by buying used tractors and farm equipment.

Today, Roozen's small company has grown to be the largest tulip-bulb grower in the country and one of the largest employers in the Skagit Valley. The flower industry in the Skagit Valley has become an important element of the county's economy.

The Roozen family's hard work ethic spans at least six generations. The family first began raising tulips in Holland in the mid-1700's.

In the Skagit Valley, Roozen (which means "roses" in Dutch) worked for other farmers before setting off on his own in 1950. Five years later, he purchased the Washington Bulb Co., founded by two of the area's first bulb farmers, Joe Berger and Cornelius Roozekrans. The Washington Bulb Co. now farms about 2,000 acres of land.

In 1985, William Roozen handed the business down to his five sons and a daughter, Bernadette Roozen Miller, who passed away in 1996.

William Roozen passed away on July 13, 2002 and, with 35 grandchildren, was confident the family company will keep growing.

Company Principals

William A. Roozen, Founder
Helen M. Roozen, Founder
John Roozen
Leo Roozen
William Roozen
Richard Roozen
Michael Roozen

Additional Information

CROPS GROWN AND ACREAGE:
Daffodils - 500 acres
Tulips - 350 acres
Iris - 150 acres
Wheat - 600 acres

SALES:
Over 70 million cut flowers are shipped all over the U.S. annually. 10's of millions of bulbs are shipped throughout the U.S. and Canada annually.