Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Milliken.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Santa Fe Tree Company is a family-owned tree farm built on a vision that started with our dad, Robert Milliken. In 2013, he began the nursery by growing a specific cypress tree, laying the foundation for what would become a long-term, family-run operation rooted in hard work and steady growth.
In the beginning, we started with just a few acres of production and a lot of hands-on effort. Over time, the farm expanded step by step—reinvesting, improving our systems, and growing our customer base the right way. Today, we operate 128 acres of production, with even more growth underway through further expansion at our new farm in Lake City.
What makes our story especially meaningful is that the farm is now run by four brothers. Each of us made the decision to come back and build our future in the family business, working side by side to grow what our dad started. Dad is now retired, and it’s a special full-circle moment for him—getting to watch his boys carry the business forward and live out his dream of creating something that keeps his family consistently around him.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Expansion has never been easy for us, but it’s always been done with purpose. Every time we’ve grown—adding acreage, equipment, and capacity—we’ve had to be intentional, because scaling a tree farm can stretch your time, your cash flow, and your systems fast.
Through all of it, our #1 priority has stayed the same: the quality of the trees. We’ve worked hard to make sure growth never comes at the expense of consistency, health, and the standards we want our name attached to. Keeping that focus has helped us earn trust, build long-term relationships, and rise into a more prominent, respected tree farm here in North Central Florida.
As you know, we’re big fans of Santa Fe Tree Company. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Santa Fe Tree Company is a wholesale tree farm in North Central Florida supplying trees and shrubs for big projects across the eastern U.S.—from solar installations and municipal jobs to commercial and residential construction. With over 125 acres in production (and growing), we can handle large orders while staying consistent on quality.
We’re especially known for growing specific trees in large quantities. One example is our Thuja ‘Green Giant,’ a staple evergreen in the Northeast. We ship more than 40,000 Green Giants a year nationwide.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The biggest lesson we’ve learned is that family and relationships are everything. Trees take time, business takes time, and the only way you build something that lasts is by doing it with the people you love and treating others the same way.
We try to run this farm like a family business in the truest sense—not just because four brothers work side by side, but because we treat our customers, partners, and the people we work with like family too. At the end of the day, growth and acreage matter, but our relationships and our family are what matter most, and that’s what we’re most committed to protecting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.santafetreeco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santafetreecompany/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/santa-fe-tree-company
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SantaFeTreeCompany/shorts
