Our rich history originates in 1932 with a humble German immigrant establishing his roots in downtown St. Louis, where August H. Hummert Sr. made his start by providing seed and supplies for St. Louis growers on the famous “Florist Row,” along the banks of the Mississippi River under the name A. H. Hummert Seed Co. Throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s, business gradually grew after the company’s first 16-page catalog was produced in 1936 and A.H. (Gus) Hummert, Jr. had joined his father’s business following his service in WW II. Gus would later assume the role of President in November 1970, after the passing of his father.

While Hummert Seed steadily grew in stride with the surrounding St. Louis region, the third-generation of the Hummert’s joined the business with sons August H. (Sonny) Hummert III and Pete Hummert joining in 1961 and 1980, respectively. Sonny established Ad-Arama in 1979 to handle advertising for the company and the expansion of the 16-page catalog into what he envisioned as a soon-to-be staple in the horticulture community.  Over time, Hummert Seed’s catalog and business would grow from a humble seed store to a global distributor. Sonny would later take on the role as President after the untimely passing of his father, Gus, in 1974. The company headquarters later relocated to Earth City to expand its warehouse in 1995, while adopting the company name Hummert International, to complement its world-wide role.