Lloyd family seeing green this time of year

RONAN — Few things symbolize Christmas as much as a Christmas tree, and one Ronan family is responsible for putting some Yuletide spirit into thousands of homes throughout the Northwest every year.

Zon and Martha Lloyd have been in the Christmas tree business for almost 50 years, during which time they've seen the rise of artificial trees but never once doubted the enduring strength of the "real deal."

Most of the Lloyds' Christmas tree sales take place at their main lot in Twin Falls, Idaho. This year, they'll sell about 5,000 trees to folks all over Idaho and Western Montana.

"We have about six varieties of trees. Our main tree is the Noble (fir) out of Oregon - I buy about six truckfulls each year. We also sell the Frasiers and the Grands, too," Zon Lloyd said. "The Scotch Pine has faded out of the picture. We sell some smaller ones, but most people want something bigger."

Lloyd said the family got involved in Christmas tree sales almost by accident.

"I grew up on a ranch in southern Idaho, and we had a lot of pinyon pine trees. In about 1951, we realized there was some interest in them as Christmas trees," Lloyd said. "We sold one load to a local fruit stand for $1 per tree, and we thought we were doing good."

It was at that same fruit stand that he met Martha, and after a short stint in the Army, Lloyd started selling trees wholesale to tree lots in Utah. But in selling to wholesalers, Martha convinced him he was actually losing more money than he was making, Lloyd said.

"She got madder and madder, wanting to know why we were giving them away. She said we should sell them directly to the public," said Lloyd. "I told her if she thinks I want to sell them to a bunch of fussy old women, you're crazy. She said, 'All right, I'll sell them myself. We started off selling 100 trees the first year, and today we sell about 5,000."

Although the business has been successful - they make a small amount of money each year, Lloyd said - it's the family bonding that makes it so worthwhile.

"The main thing that's been great is that it's been a family project. We've been able to work with every one of our kids, all six of them, over the years," he said. "We still have kids and grandkids show up each year to run the lots."

Although Christmas tree sales are fun for the family, it's still a business, said Lloyd. He tracks tree sales and availability just like stock brokers and arbitrageurs track the value of the yen or the price of oranges or wheat.

"I have access to all the tree growers in the Northwest through the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association. They put out a book called the Lookout, and once a year they put out a buy-sell (pricing sheet)," Lloyd said. "That also helps keep me up to speed nationally."

Lloyd said the rise of the artificial tree has definitely impacted folks in the Christmas tree business.

"Right now we are losing ground to artificial trees. Fifty percent of all folks use artificial trees these days. I think that's because growers have overpriced the Noble because it's so popular," he said. "It's simple supply and demand - the growers have been raising their price and the artificial folks have been creating a better product."

Lloyd said the lure of the real thing often brings folks back though.

"Ordinarily, after three or four years, they come back to a real tree. There's something special about it," he said.

Lloyd said he and his family take pride in being part of other families' Christmas cheer. Although it's a business, it's also the business of helping folks celebrate the season, he said.

"When I first started out, I felt guilty about taking peoples' money for such a pagan ritual. However, over the years I've come to realize that for the price of a tree, that's some of the best money a family puts out to bring that family together," he said.

Lloyd said part of his family's success is being a regular part of other families every year. Treating folks right brings them back year after year, he said.

"You can shear a sheep many times but you only skin him once. That works in business, too," Lloyd said. "We're selling to great grandkids - people stay with us over the years. It's kind of like a reunion each year."

Lloyd said the one thing he's always wanted was a painting to capture the sometimes chaotic scene of a family trying to find the perfect Christmas tree. He said there's probably too many elements to go into one painting.

"Mom comes out, and she knows exactly what she wants. Dad, nine times out of 10, doesn't know what he's doing there. The kids, they just want the biggest tree they can find," said Lloyd. "There's a lot things going on on a tree lot on the weekends. All kinds of people, some arguing, the kids running around - it's busy."