The Harris Seeds Family Inducted Into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Oct. 16, 2013 - PRLog -- Harris Seeds founder and former president, Joseph Harris, and former presidents Selah Harris, Margaret Harris Sheldon and grandson, Joseph Harris were inducted into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame in October 2013.

The Hall of Fame originated in 2001 and is one of the highest honors given to business people in the Rochester, NY area.  Inductees are honored for their business excellence, vision, innovation and outstanding contributions to the Rochester community.  They are selected by the Hall of Fame Committee, which is advised by an independent group including past inductees.

Joseph Harris, the founder of Harris Seeds, was an English immigrant who settled in the Genesee Valley Region of Western New York in the 1850’s. He became extremely successful as a seedsman by selecting superior strains of vegetables and grains. His success led to the beginning of Harris Seeds in 1879, building it into a large mail-order company in Gates, NY. The company became popular because of Harris’ basic business philosophy, "Offer my customers a quality product at a fair price and they will return." The business was later managed by a succession of Harris family members, including Selah Harris, Margaret Harris Sheldon and Joseph Harris (grandson of the founder). Harris Seeds is still going strong in Rochester, NY, selling vegetable and flower seeds, plants and growing supplies nationwide to growers and home gardeners. The principles that governed the business when it began in the 1870s remain today.

Harris Seeds and the other laureates of the 2013 Hall of Fame were honored on October 8, 2013 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, presented by Junior Achievement of Rochester New York Area Inc., the Rochester Business Journal and the Rochester Museum & Science Center.

About Harris Seeds

The Harris Seeds Company began long ago in 1879 in the fertile Genesee Valley of Western New York. Over the next century, it became a leader in the development and distribution of flowers and vegetables for the home garden and professional grower marketplace. Located in Rochester, New York, the company specializes in high quality vegetable and flower seeds, plants and growing supplies. The company publishes over 500,000 catalogs every year, serving the home gardener and professional grower. Quality has been the hallmark of Harris Seeds for over 132 years. It was the very first company in America to test for quality germination and print the results on every package of seed sold. Harris Seeds places extreme importance in providing the finest products available, coupled with service that goes unmatched in the industry.