About Dutch Mill Bulbs | The Original Flower Bulb Fundraising Company
OUR STORY
Over 65 years of growing communities, one bulb at a time.
Dutch Mill Bulbs has been running flower bulb fundraisers since 1960, making us the original flower bulb fundraising company in the United States. We have been funding field trips, new uniforms, mission trips, and summer camps for longer than most of the people reading this have been alive. Not because flower bulbs are magic. It is because a fair deal, a guaranteed product, and a company that genuinely cares about your group still matters.
WHERE IT BEGAN
The Tulip King of Hershey
Albert Bos was born in Overveen, Netherlands in 1926. He served in the Royal Dutch Navy during World War II, worked at a flower bulb importer in Germany afterward, and immigrated to the United States in 1948. He spent years selling flower bulbs for someone else before deciding to build his own company.
When he did, he went straight to the source. His brother, still in the Netherlands, shipped premium Dutch bulbs directly to Albert in Pennsylvania. No middleman. No compromise on quality. Just the best bulbs he could put in front of people.
In 1954, Albert met Susie in her family’s flower business. They married in 1955. On June 27, 1960, Albert became a U.S. citizen, and almost immediately he and Susie started Dutch Mill Bulbs, Inc. together. They packed up the car and hit the road, traveling to more than 30 states, walking into schools and Scout halls, meeting group leaders face to face.
His pitch was not complicated. He did not want to sell bulbs to the Boy Scouts. He wanted the Boy Scouts to sell his bulbs to their neighbors and keep 50 cents of every dollar they earned. He backed every single bulb with a Grow Guarantee, because Albert understood that if you are asking a community to trust you, you had better stand behind what you sell.
People in Hershey knew Albert by sight. They called him the Tulip King. He earned it.
SIX DECADES IN BRIEF
How we got here
1960
Albert and Susie Bos found Dutch Mill Bulbs in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the same year Albert becomes a U.S. citizen. They hit the road together, driving to more than 30 states to build the business from scratch.
The Growth Years
Under Jeff Ellenberger’s ownership, Dutch Mill Bulbs continued serving groups across the country for decades, keeping Albert’s original model intact.
2021
Jim purchased Dutch Mill Bulbs from Mr. Ellenberger in 2021. Same Grow Guarantee. Same 50% model. Same central Pennsylvania roots. We brought it fully into the modern era, rebuilding the technology, the systems, and the leader’s experience from the ground up. It is a new chapter with a lot of runway ahead.
Today
Over 65 years in. Still family-run. Still shipping to 48 states, spring and fall. Still here when you need us.
BY THE NUMBERS
Over 65 Years
rooted in central Pennsylvania
50% Profit
for your group on every sale
48 States
served, spring and fall
THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR ORDER
Small team. Real people. On purpose.
Dutch Mill Bulbs is not a corporation that stumbled into fundraising. Our warehouse is in Annville, just east of Hershey. Our office is in the same town where Albert built his legacy. Nothing has moved very far, and that is not an accident.
Jim
Jim is the man behind the scenes making sure the gears of Dutch Mill Bulbs turn perfectly. With a background in finance and a deep commitment to Albert’s original vision, he handles the logistics and technology that allow us to stay a “fair deal” company. He is focused on building a platform that makes fundraising easier for the next 65 years.
Scott
A lifelong friend of Jim’s with a background in landscaping and a genuine love of flowers. Scott brings real care to every order he packs and ships. If your bulbs arrive perfectly packed, Scott is likely the reason why.
Joanne
Former dental hygienist and educator turned fundraising company president. I manage operations, customer service, and marketing with the perspective of someone who has run fundraisers herself.
My path to Dutch Mill Bulbs was shaped by years on the other side of the fundraiser. As a teacher, a club advisor, scout leader, and a mom, I was the one counting order forms at the kitchen table, chasing down payments, sorting delivery bags, and hoping the final number was enough. I have lived every version of this experience. That is exactly why my approach to running Dutch Mill Bulbs is so straightforward: remove every obstacle between a group leader and a successful fundraiser.
Built for the way groups work today
When Jim and I took over, our first goal was to make this “super simple” for you. We invested in tools that are real needle-movers for busy leaders. Every registered leader has access to a full suite of ready-to-use resources including:
- Customized QR Code Posters for easy scanning.
- The Tally Template: Our custom Excel sheet that does all the math for you.
- Real-Time Dashboard: Monitor your online sales any time, day or night.
- Digital Promotion Assets: Ready-to-use images and text for FB, IG, and email.
- Useful Assets: Additional resources added, such as templates of marketing materials and communication.
Orders are fully integrated with our shipping software, and every supporter receives tracking information as soon as their order ships. From the first sign-up to the final delivery, the process is designed to be clear, simple, and supported at every step.
No upfront costs. No minimums. No pressure. Just premium bulbs, a 50% return, and a small team in Pennsylvania that genuinely wants your group to hit its goal.
WHY WE DO THIS
Your goal is the whole point.
We work with PTAs, PTOs, school groups of all kinds, music boosters, athletic teams, band programs, Scout troops, 4-H clubs, FFA chapters, church groups, senior centers, community organizations, and student groups. Every time a group hits its goal, whether that means new uniforms, a fully funded summer camp, or equipment that was one season overdue, that is the moment we work toward. Not the transaction. The goal on the other side of it.
Albert started this company on a belief that flowers could fund something bigger than themselves. Over sixty-five years later, that has not changed.
A NOTE FROM JOANNE
Proud partner of National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.®
Some decisions in business are purely strategic. This one was personal.
For our family, 2026 marks a profound milestone of twenty five years of hope and survival. Knowing firsthand what it looks like to face a diagnosis and reach a quarter century of health makes this cause deeply personal. It is why this partnership means so much more than a business agreement. It is a celebration of resilience and a commitment to ensuring other families have that same access to early detection and support.
As a woman running a company that sells things that grow into something beautiful, choosing a partnership rooted in hope was the only path that made sense. National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® was founded in 1991 with a mission of Helping Women Now® by providing help and inspiring hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services. Their work for women from the initial diagnosis through every stage of recovery is exactly the kind of mission worth standing behind.
Starting in Fall 2026, we are proud to offer the Pink Ribbon Tulips as part of our partnership with National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® Buying Pink Ribbon Tulips directly supports NBCF and their mission of Helping Women Now®
To learn more about NBCF or to donate directly, visit: nationalbreastcancer.org
To Learn more about the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® or to donate directly to the cause please visit: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer
Ready to start your fundraiser?
Dutch Mill Bulbs, Inc. is a proud supporter of National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.®