Cook—who is president and CEO, and co-owns Exaco with her husband, Andrew—said one distinguishing factor is that the new Pflugerville headquarters has 37,000 square feet of warehouse space in addition to a 5,000-square-foot showroom.
“I don’t know of any other indoor showrooms for greenhouses in the country,” Cook said. “You might find them in Sweden, and you’d find them in Europe, but you don’t find them in the states.”
Following a construction process that began with a May 2021 groundbreaking, the facility is now complete, and all of the greenhouses and outdoor structures in the showroom are built. Cook said Exaco is planning a grand opening event in mid-February, though a date is not yet set.
The previous warehouses and office space in North Austin were smaller and existed only as warehouses for the company’s online sales, she said.
Andrew, Exaco founder and president of sales marketing, said the greenhouses Exaco sells typically cost between $5,000-$20,000.
However, he said he has brokered sales for specialty projects that cost up to $40,000, though those greenhouses are much less common.
Andrew said the quality and numerous features of each residential greenhouse sold at Exaco has helped cultivate a client base that tends to prefer not just gardening functionality, but also greenhouses that can double as a place to recreate, he said.
As one example, a Cathedral Victorian model greenhouse in the Pflugerville showroom includes space for gardening as well as outdoor furniture set up for dining and other forms of entertaining.
“Atmosphere: that is what our greenhouses are starting to be used for,” Andrew said. “A little gardening, also, and a little puttering around, but they want outdoor space.”
The majority of greenhouse kits sold through Exaco come from two companies—Janssens in Belgium and Hoklartherm in Germany. Andrew said they are typically made with tempered glass, aluminum framing, weather-resistant UV coatings and durable polycarbonate walls, among other high-quality materials.
Cook said the quality of the materials in the greenhouses Exaco sells helps differentiate their products from most other retail sellers.
Additionally, when someone places an order for a greenhouse, Cook said no matter where in the country the product is going, an Exaco representative will be available to help the customer with whatever they may need, from purchase to installation.
“Some [customers] are master gardeners who know exactly what they’re going to do, and others are aspirational,” she said.
From the showroom
Exaco Trading Co. has several greenhouse models set up in the new 5,000-square-foot showroom in Pflugerville.
Some of the models include:
Cathedral Victorian Greenhouse
Features:
- hinged double doors
- single sliding door
- top-hang side windows
- tempered glass
Features:
- roof window with automatic opener
- single sliding door
- gutters with downspouts
- tempered safety glass
Features:
- roof windows with automatic opener
- cold weather covers
- vents with automatic openers
16001 Impact Way, Pflugerville
512-407-8500
Showroom hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. by appointment only
www.exaco.com
