CARLSBAD SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Carlsbad SBDC is proud to announce our choice for "Client of the Year for 2012" - Mark and Mary Waltersheid.

Garden Mart, Inc.
Mark and Mary Waltersheid
29 yrs. in business
24 Employees

Mark and Mary Waltersheid start a garden and flower shop in 1984. We had a small greenhouse utilized for that purpose. Mark had a hobby at home of growing roses. We decided that we could expand that business by growing long stem roses and selling them to local florists as well as to the area flower shops. We bought more greenhouses from the money we were making off the long stem roses we were selling and allowed us to put up four large greenhouses in the back part of the land.

We grew from Mark being the only employee to two more by 1990. We expanded the nursery and added on to the building, and by 1993, Mary left her medical career to join Mark in his ventures. In 1994, we opened a flower shop which has expanded to the largest volume shop in our area. Our children have joined us in the business during their high school and college career. We have won numerous awards for the flower design:
• The best of Carlsbad, Carlsbad, New Mexico
• Top 2000 Teleflora
• Knights of Columbus Service Award
• Service Above Self Award Carlsbad Rotary Club

In 2000, we paid off the business venture and looked to expand. We then expanded into contract work. We sought help from Larry Coalson, of the SBDC in Carlsbad to help us get the contract for the Carlsbad Cemetery. Larry has always been willing to meet with us at any time on professional and personnel matters. We currently do the landscape maintained on major banks, city properties, personal properties and so forth.

We donate to the community both with services, floral displays and monetary donations. Mark is involved in the community, Knight of Columbus, Carlsbad Rotary, on the board of the Carlsbad Caverns Activity Association and St. Edward Parish Council. Mary is a member of the Carlsbad Rotary Club, A board member of the Carlsbad Foundation, President of St. Edward School, Chair of Leadership Carlsbad and member of St. Edward Church.

We are blessed with four children, Mandy, married to Howard; Christopher, married to Seneca, Jared, married to Angelica, and Zachary, fiancée Ashley. Zachary and Ashley are both involved in the business. We are blessed with eight grandchildren and four of them being a set of quadruplets.

Take advantage of our FREE services.

The Carlsbad Small Business
Development Center (SBDC) offers:
• FREE One-On-One Business Counseling
• Financial Analysis
• Marketing Assistance

Local Business Partners
Carlsbad Dept of Development (575) 887-6562
Sandia Laboratories, Carlsbad Office (575) 236-0026
County of Eddy (575) 887-9511
City of Carlsbad (575) 887-1191
Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce(575) 887-6516
Artesia Chamber of Commerce (575) 746-2744

For more information on any of our events, please call (575) 885-9531.

SBDC Staff
Director, Larry Coalson, MBA CFP
Joined the SBDC in September of 1989 as the director, when the program was contracted to the Carlsbad Department of Development from New Mexico State University. The program reverted to NMSU on July 1, 1999 and the staff was retained.Larry attended NMSU and received a BS in Agriculture in 1970. A Masters in Business Administration was awarded in 1989 from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. Larry also received the Certificated Financial Planner designation from the College for Financial Planning, Denver Colorado. In addition he is active with the Heights Lions Club and has served as President and Treasurer. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Otis Mutual Domestic Water and Sewer Company and serves as the board Secretary / Treasurer.

Administrative Assistant, Vada Mata
Joined the SBDC in August of 2009 as Administrative Secretary. Vada completed the Professional Development Program to receive the Certified Support Specialist certificate in 2010. She has an Associates in Business Office Technology in Word Processing. Vada has 12 years of retail business experience as well as 8 years of business office experience. She worked in the Student Services Department of NMSUC for 3 years and 1 year with the Community Education Program helping register students for classes.

Contact
Small Business Development Center
New Mexico State University-Carlsbad
221 South Canyon Street
Carlsbad, NM 88220
(575) 885-9531
(575) 885-1515 fax
lcoalson@nmsu.edu
vmata@nmsu.edu
Hours: 8 am–5 pm, Monday-Thursday, 8 am-12 noon, Friday

Visit our NMSUC website for addition information: www.cavern1.nmsu.edu and click on Departments and then on Small Business Development Center.