Music, food and a host of opportunities to learn about green businesses will be part of the May 1 grand opening of Horizen Hydroponics.
The Kalamazoo store is at 4646 W. Main St., on the northeast corner of West Main and Drake in the Westwood Plaza. The store opened in February and now plans to celebrate it.
"We've received a warm welcome from Kalamazoo," says Bridgette Ujlaky, co-owner with her husband John, of Horizen Hydroponics. "We've found it to be a very good fit. The community is very forward thinking and people are very interested in gardening."
The decision to open a store in the Kalamazoo market came as the couple, which has an established store in Grand Rapids, realized an increasing number of their customers were coming north to check out their business.
The Ujlakys specialize in hydroponic, organic, indoor and year-round gardening supplies. Hydroponics, which means "water works," is the process of growing plants in water, gravel or sand, but without soil. Their stores carry lighting, nutrients and other items to help gardeners succeed.
Horizen Hydroponics has been in business for eight years in Grand Rapids and online. Bridget Ujlaky estimates that about 70 percent of its business comes from the brick-and-mortar stores, while 30 percent is done online.
The company employs eight, including two at the Kalamazoo store.
And the zen in the name Horizen Hydroponics is fully intentional. The company's motto is "tranquility through gardening."
The grand opening ceremony will feature live music by local bands, local food, and eco-friendly vendors such as Flowerfield Enterprises, Natural Health Center, Emerald Car Cleaners and others. The May 1 event starts at noon and goes until 5 p.m.
Ujlaky says the business will donate proceeds from organic vegetable and herb seedlings sold that day to Fair Food Matters, advocates for local food production and consumption.
Store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. More information is available at
Horizen Hydroponics' website or by calling 269-567-3333.
Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Bridgette Ujlaky
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