Lou Boonenberg and his wife Mary Ellen met at MSU and were married in the summer of 1959, beginning a life rooted in hard work, family, and a shared belief in building something of their own. Not long after, Lou felt the pull toward agriculture—a calling that would shape the rest of their story. With the support of their parents, they took a leap of faith and purchased a small landscaping company where Lou had once worked as a boy: Thornapple River Nursery, then tucked along Thornapple River Drive in Cascade. In 1962, they added 30 acres of land and set out to grow something far bigger than they could have imagined.

​

Those early years were simple, but never easy. Lou wore every hat—meeting customers, sketching designs, moving dirt, planting trees—often with just a couple of helpers alongside him. Winters meant plowing snow, doing whatever it took to keep things moving forward. Meanwhile, at home and at the nursery, their young family was growing. Their sons, Scott and Brett, spent their childhood among rows of trees and piles of mulch, learning the rhythm of the seasons and the value of a hard day’s work.

​

After both attending MSU, Scott and Brett returned—not out of obligation, but because the nursery had become a part of who they were. With their energy and vision, the business began to stretch its roots even deeper. More trucks rolled out each morning, more hands joined the team, and more families came to trust the name Thornapple River Nursery. Through it all, it remained what it had always been at its core: a family working side by side, committed to doing things the right way.

​

Lou often said that building this company with Mary Ellen, and raising their family through it, was the joy of his life. Today, that legacy lives on in every project, every customer relationship, and every member of the team. Now in its third generation, Thornapple River Nursery has grown into one of the largest nurseries in West Michigan—while still holding tight to the values it was built on from the very beginning.