Customers of FNBO - Bath Inc.

Customers of FNBO - Bath Inc.

We’re proud to feature Sara Salzman, who owns and operates Bath Inc. alongside her husband, Aaron.

Bath Inc. includes Bath Garden Center and Nursery and Bath Landscape and Irrigation, both in Fort Collins, Colorado. Tom Bath, Sara’s father, kicked off the family business with a small sprinkler landscaping business in 1965. Fresh out of college, he took his pickup truck, a handful of tools and some new sprinklers and got to work.

“The story goes that my dad had this location where he would hold plant material that was waiting to be installed on a job and he would have lots of people stop by and say, ‘Hey, are those for sale?’ And that’s when he decided to open a garden center,” Sara said. “Then, he bought this land that Bath is now sitting on.”

The business continues to grow, both on the retail side and through landscape and irrigation projects. Involved in the business as a youth, Sara returned in 2000 with her husband and daughter by her side.

Two years ago, the Salzmans purchased the business from Sara’s father, although though the 81-year-old still keeps a desk and comes in every day to open the mail. Sara manages the garden center and nursery while Aaron operates the projects division, overseeing landscaping, irrigation and maintenance.

“We love it. We love working together,” Sara said. “We love having the same goal, which is to grow the business.”

Both sides of the business are passionate about organic gardening practices using sustainability and native plants.

Located in the home of Colorado State University, being part of a college town anchors the business.

“A lot of our employees are pulled from Colorado State with landscaping design degrees or horticulture degrees, so it really helps to have the college here,” Sara said.

It also helps the business to be surrounded by so many young people.

“The younger generations have a huge interest in plants,” she said. “It’s been years in the making, because about 10 years ago, we thought the gardening generations were dying off and young people had no interest. It’s not that way anymore.”

Interest in house plants resurged on social media, which Sara credits for attracting younger people to garden center.

“House plants started getting popular, and then social media just took it to a whole new level,” Sara said. “I think because their generations are so heavily influenced by technology, plants are something that seem real and alive.”

The pandemic also increased interest in house plants, gardening and landscaping. In fact, it almost doubled business for the Baths.

“There were a lot more customers interested in plants, and with so many people at home they wanted to spruce up their yards and their interiors,” Sara said.

FNBO is proud to be part of the family’s business and has been since it opened in 1965.

“My dad started with First National Bank. We’ve had the same bank since we started business,” Sara said.

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