Since the age of 19, Tiffany has managed Market Basket’s Godfrey Garden Center. Ten years ago the Stevens, owners of Market Basket, recognized a new employee who was especially motivated and hard-working. They offered Tiffany the opportunity to manage their new store, so she grabbed the responsibility and ran with it.

Her first priority is that customers receive exceptional service. To make sure they don’t have to wait for their orders, you can find her delivering a dump truck of material or operating the front loader or forklift. She’s in charge of ordering inventory, which includes Romanstone, Keystone, Versa-Lok, natural stone, mulch, gravel, flowers, ornaments, fountains, statuary, seasonal displays, cemetery flowers, garden supplies and wild bird products. She unloads trucks as they arrive, and then she builds and stocks the center’s seasonal displays.

It’s important to Tiffany to greet customers by name as they enter the store, and if she misses someone, she wants them to let her know. Contractor customers are loyal and depend on the center to keep them supplied. “Our customers and contractors come to us instead of the big box stores because of our personal service and our extensive plant and product lines. They know they’ll get answers, fast service and a personal greeting,” says Tiffany.

Then there was the most memorable time a customer helped Tiffany. On a beautiful Saturday morning, business was booming. As eager contractors and customers lined up for their materials, the center’s tractor broke. Shane Seiler, from Seiler Excavating, happened to be there and offered to get his skid loader. He delivered the loader and taught Tiffany how to drive it. Shane stayed all day because she was nervous about operating the equipment for the first time, and amid the mulch and gravel, they fell in love.

In January 2007, Tiffany and Shane married, honeymooned in Jamaica and moved into their newly constructed house in Alton. Tiffany is currently enrolled in Franklin University’s virtual campus program and will receive her bachelor’s degree in business management in August 2007.

Market Basket has four locations. The Godfrey store offers the same products and services as the O’Fallon and Edwardsville garden and landscape centers. The Edwardsville and Caseyville stores offer groceries as well.

< Back to locations