MANATEE — Landmark businesses in Manatee County have their roots deep in the early days of commerce here when agriculture was king. The longest operating businesses in the county today reflect those early settlement days in the 19th century when commerce served the farmers who migrated Congress’ Armed Occupation Act of 1842 helped convince farmers to take a risk in rural Manatee. The act gave 160 acres to anyone who cleared five acres, built a house and lived on the property for five years.
Early entrepreneur Pliny Reasoner came to Manatee County to fulfill his dream of a horticultural career. He started out testing a few seeds on his Oneco property and by 1881, Reasoner’s Nursery opened its doors.
Today, the company is known as Reasoner’s Royal Palm Nurseries and is the oldest business in the county. Its focus has shifted over the years from fruit to plants and flowers as well as landscaping and outdoor pest management.
Another landmark business in the county, the Manatee Fruit Co., came along in the days of the agricultural business boom. The family business started in 1892 as The Manatee Lemon Co. Today the business is focused on growing plants and flowers.
Manatee County’s commerce eventually diversified thanks to transportation improvements. Several docks built along the banks of the Manatee River in the 1840s helped draw businesses to the Village of Manatee, present day’s Ninth Street East and Manatee Avenue East. By 1888, several general stores moved into the Village of Manatee, including Pelot’s Pharmacy, which came along in 1902 and still operating today.
We take a look at seven of the oldest businesses still in operation, their history and their secret to success.
Reasoner’s Royal Palm Nurseries
Established: 1881
Type: Landscaping, fertilization, pest management
History: Royal Palm Nurseries started with Pliny Reasoner, and the family business introduced more than 1,000 species of tropical plants to the area. Pink grapefruit was discovered on its site in 1913 when one branch of a tree was producing the fruit. During the Great Depression the business was put up for collateral for a loan, but Bud Reasoner, the owner at the time, was able to buy it back.
Secret to success: The Reasoners honor the same values Pliny Reasoner instilled in Royal Palm Nurseries when he started the business: hard work, a passion for horticulture and superior customer service.
Biggest change: For many years, Royal Palm Nurseries focused on tropical plants and flowers. But by the 1990s the family added full-service residential and commercial landscaping, lawn spraying and pest control.
Manatee Fruit Company
Established: 1892
Type: Flowers and plants
History: Walter Preston and his family moved from Connecticut and Rhode Island to Manatee County after the Civil War to start what was then called the Manatee Lemon Co. A freeze in 1911, however, killed the lemon trees and Preston delved into grapefruit and orange trees for the next season to start the Manatee Fruit Co. The company is a four-generation business that now is owned and operated by Whiting Preston.
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