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About Dan and Bryan Christmas Trees

The story of Dan and Bryan Christmas Trees intertwines with the story of Eric and Gloria Sundback.

Dan Taylor and Bryan Holler own and operate Dan and Bryan Christmas Trees, but until recently, the retail business has been known as Sundback Trees, and both Dan and Bryan are appreciative of all they have learned working alongside Eric Sundback for nearly 25 years.

You see, Eric began selling Christmas trees when he was 10 years old at his family farm in Pennsylvania. His father, a native of Sweden, grew trees primarily to remind himself of his homeland. Eric went off to college, married Gloria, and they had two children. He was a landscape architect, and she a chemist.

In the late 1960s, they moved to Maryland, and frankly found the Christmas trees that were available to be "disappointing." Mostly to see what might happen, they harvested some of the trees from his father's farm—the result was life changing.

The Sundbacks bought land in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, and began meticulously planting and growing trees. Their approach was not random. Gloria kept careful notes on every tree—its age, parentage, and location.

It has been a wonderful journey for Eric and Gloria. Let us fast forward to the present by noting that six years later, they began selling the trees they had grown, and each year, the trees were more beautiful.

Word got around, and soon they were selling Christmas trees to Washington luminaries, including Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Ethel Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and U.N. Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick. The Sundbacks also were contacted by Barbara Bush, while George H. W. Bush was Vice President, who requested their trees for the vice presidential manse and hosted the Sundbacks as guests for coffee and cookies. A couple of times there were calls from Camp David. This year is the fourth time their tree has been named Grand Champion by the National Christmas Tree Association, giving them the privilege of providing the Christmas tree to be on display in the White House.

In 1985, the Sundbacks hired two young men to help them. Dan Taylor had just graduated from high school and moved to the area, and Bryan Holler was still in school. By 1996, Mr. Sundback helped his proteges start their own Christmas Tree farms. Under his watchful eye, he taught them the Sundback Way, which included how to hand pick the seed source, hand prune the trees, and how to space the branches for perfect ornament hanging.

For another 10 years, the two men have worked side by side with Eric, as well as established their own farms, with his blessing and guidance. They were often joined by their wives, as tree farming is a family commitment.

After these many years, having grown beautiful, healthy Christmas trees for thousands of family, the Sundbacks have decided to retire from the physical labor, and turned the retail sales over to Dan and Bryan Trees, their two trusted employees. The Sundbacks still operate about 30 acres, focusing on genetics.