Orange Owned spotlight: Witherspoon Rose Culture

It takes family, grit, determination, good employees, valued customers, and God to grow and thrive through three generations running the same business. At least that is what Taylor Pike, ’02, owner of the Orange Owned Business, credits with the success of Witherspoon Rose Culture.  

Witherspoon Rose Culture has 70 years of experience installing and caring for rose gardens. The business has a diverse selection of roses and gardening services expertly offered. 

Bob Witherspoon graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Floriculture. Upon graduation, he began working with a man in Durham caring for shrubs, trees, and a few rose gardens. After an accident, the founder of that company turned it over to Bob, who decided that the best way to keep the business alive and running was to focus on only caring for rose gardens. Bob and his wife, Thelma, expanded their business into Chapel Hill in 1951.  

Witherspoon Rose is a third-generation business. It was passed down from Bob and Thelma Witherspoon to David and Rhonda – Taylor’s parents – and now Taylor and his wife. The values of Witherspoon Rose are based on faith and operating from a Biblical foundation. Their beliefs, according to Taylor, are “honesty/integrity, quality, diligence, and compassion.”   

These values permeate throughout the business, including interactions and relationships with customers.  

“We want all of our interactions to leave our customers, vendors and team members feeling like their lives were enhanced by our interaction,” Taylor said. 

Witherspoon Rose hires employees who embody its values. Every new hire goes through face-to-face orientation. At every chance, Taylor says, “We promote and hire from within.” At Witherspoon Rose everyone starts “at the bottom.”  

“No one is too important to do the hard jobs, and you get to coach and teach right there on the job,” Taylor said.  

Taylor and both his parents are proud Campbell alumni.  

“The whole time I was at Campbell I would think about how these things I was learning can help the family business,” Taylor said.  

Taylor took over for his parents and implemented a lot of what he learned at Campbell into the business. From his philosophy of business class, business administration class, to accounting, Taylor took bits and pieces from all.  

Witherspoon Rose has expanded to Myrtle Beach, Richmond, and the Tidewater area. It services North Carolina from Asheville all the way to the coast. 

Taylor said credits the success of Witherspoon Rose to God and his blessings.  

“We start there, asking for sustenance at each leadership meeting. We ask for continued blessings and wisdom,” he said.  

A quick glance through the rose selection at witherspoonrose.com renders types like “Abbaye de Cluny”, “All Dressed Up”. “All My Loving”, “Avant Garde” – and those are just the roses that begin with the letter, “A”.  

There’s simply a rose for everyone.

Click here search businesses, like Witherspoon Rose, that are proudly Orange Owned.