Trees of Tradition

Customer loyalty keeps business growing at Thorntons’ Treeland

Larry and Lauren Dubay started a new tradition Sunday at Thorntons’ Treeland in the Glenwood area.

“This is his first tree,” Larry said, nodding to the couple’s 4-month-old son, Beardyn. The infant was riding in a baby sling on his mother’s left shoulder, swaddled in a Pittsburgh Steelers blanket.

“He’s looking for a Douglas fir,” Larry added. Originally from Connecticut, Larry was wearing a Steelers ball cap.

Lauren, a first-time mom, grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. The couple have lived in West Hazel Dell for eight years. They’ve come to Thorntons’ for five of those years.

On Sunday, they trekked out onto the 40 acres of trees and found the perfect Dubay Christmas tree, a 5-foot Doug fir.

Kneeling, a saw in one hand and the leash for Roxy the family dog in the other, Larry made quick work of the felling.

“I’m a union carpenter, so I can use a saw,” he said.

Beardyn uttered not a sound during the tree hunting. He looked serene cuddled in his mother’s arms in his blue, yellow and white stocking cap.

The tree will be decorated tonight, Lauren said.

o Where: 7617 N.E. 119th St.

o Years in business: 39.

o Cost: Generally $4 to $7 a foot for trees. Tree stands go from $13.95 to $21.95.

o Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Christmas Eve.

o On the Web: www.thorntonstreeland.com.

Glen Thornton said coming to his tree farm is a tradition for many families. He started planting trees in 1970 and began selling them in 1974. He has five varieties of firs: Douglas, Noble, Grand, Fraser and Balsam.

He expects to sell 5,000 trees this year.

“I think that people have been pretty faithful to us,” he said.

“The big word you hear is tradition, this is our family tradition,” Thornton said. “We have good trees, we have a good atmosphere. It’s a good outing.” He and wife Nancy farm the land with sons Tom of Vancouver, Joseph of Hermiston, Ore., and John of the Tri-Cities.

Glen Thornton is a professional forester. He said selling trees “used to be very simple.” But these days there are sales of gifts, the farm animal attraction, shakers, balers and sales of “The Marriage Saving Tree Stand.”

There are challenges to growing great trees, he said.

“Some of the species, the Doug fir, are like a rabbit salad bowl,” he said. Beavers from Curtin Creek also can be a nuisance.

But he said even after nearly 40 years, “The people kind of enliven you, and so many people have been so vocally approving of us this year.

“It’s basically a fun business.”

And there are some sentimental moments.

The tree farmer said a mother came up to him earlier this year, pointed to her son, and said, “This is our ninth year to be here, and his birth began here in the parking lot.”