Dale Bachman to Retire

Ellen C. Wells

Dale Bachman, CEO of Minneapolis-area garden retailer Bachman’s, announced his upcoming retirement recently. Since 1972 Dale has been working at the company, which his great-grandparents Henry and Hattie founded back in 1885. Dale has been with the company for more 46 years, having taken on the role of president of the family business in 1992, and has been CEO and Chairman of the Board since 2008. He will remain on as Chairman of the Board after the transition.

Bachman’s does everything imaginable within the nursery and garden retail realm—full-service centers, a gift shop, 27 floral shops, a landscaping division, a wedding/events department and a wholesale division which grows many of the items their customers find on their benches. The stores are an inspiration for both their customers and their garden center peers. Visiting the Plymouth and Lyndale locations during a 2010 GCA Holiday Tour, I can attest that Bachman’s stores are beautifully stocked with something for everyone—and they’re run like well-oiled machines, as well.

But Dale isn’t gone quite yet! The Bachman’s organization is following a well-planned and deliberate process to make the transition to the next generation as seamless as possible. In October, the entire planning process will result in Dale’s cousin Susan Bachman West taking over the reins. Susan has been president of the company since 2016 and will keep her current title—this is not out of the ordinary, as Bachman’s has opted not to use the CEO title several times throughout its history. I suspect Susan, who represents the family’s fifth generation, knows just about every detail of running Bachman’s, as she’s been there since she was a teenager. Bachman’s will be in good hands! They’ll provide us an update on the transition after Labor Day. GP