Kian-Backed Eden Brothers Adds Michael Hollenstein as CEO and Expands Senior Leadership Team

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6:00 AM on Tuesday, January 13

The Associated Press

ATLANTA & CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 13, 2026--

Kian Capital and its portfolio company, Eden Brothers, are pleased to announce the hiring of Michael Hollenstein as Chief Executive Officer of Eden Brothers, a high-growth e-commerce retailer specializing in flower seeds and bulbs for gardening enthusiasts nationwide.

Michael Hollenstein is a veteran executive with over 20 years of experience in product management and merchandising. He brings an established track record of leading, growing and sustaining profitable direct-to-consumer businesses. Michael was most recently CEO and President of DecksDirect, where he successfully oversaw the acquisition and integration of multiple add-ons and led the company into its next phase of growth. Prior to DecksDirect, Michael was CEO of eyebobs, where he spent six years championing the transformation and expansion of the high-potential reading glasses company.

“I am honored to join Eden Brothers as CEO,” said Michael. “Eden Brothers is a highly compelling and exciting brand with significant growth potential. We have a unique opportunity to expand the company’s national reach while inspiring more people to embrace gardening and reconnect with the outdoors in an increasingly digital world. I am excited to work alongside this talented team, partner with Kian and collaborate closely with the company’s founder, Sabine, on a day-to-day basis to continue delivering an innovative, best-in-class product selection for our customers.”

Eden Brothers is also pleased to announce the hiring of three new senior leadership team members: Chip Abbott as Chief Financial Officer, Josh Craft as Vice President of Operations and Laura Van Marter as Vice President of Marketing. Chip brings over two decades of finance experience to the position, along with highly relevant industry background from his prior role as CFO and CSO at Fast Growing Trees, an e-commerce retailer of trees, plants and shrubs. Josh most recently held the position of Director of Operations at Sun Bulb Company, a wholesale plant nursery, and has built a strong background in the agriculture industry throughout his career. Laura is a marketing leader and growth strategist with a decade of experience, most recently serving as Director of Growth Services at Rocketbike.

“I founded Eden Brothers because of my deep passion for flowers and gardening,” said Eden Brothers Founder Sabine Randon. “Stepping into the role of Chief Product Officer allows me to focus fully on what I love most — shaping beautiful, thoughtful offerings for our customers. Michael has my complete trust to lead the company forward, and I am incredibly excited to support him in his new role as CEO. This transition feels like a natural next chapter, and I couldn’t be more optimistic about what’s ahead.”

“Sabine has built an incredible company, and we are fully engaged to support her in her new role and to partner with Michael, Chip, Josh and Laura as they lead the business into its next phase,” said Kian Principal Caldwell Zimmerman. “Home, lawn and garden is a huge industry experiencing favorable tailwinds and growing e-commerce penetration, and with our new leadership at the helm, the company is primed to become the online destination for gardening enthusiasts through further organic growth and strategic acquisitions.”

Eden Brothers is actively seeking partnerships with well-aligned operators in the home, lawn and garden industries across the U.S. Business owners interested in learning more should contact David Duke, Partner, Business Development at Kian, at [email protected].

About Eden Brothers

Eden Brothers offers one of the largest seed and flower bulb assortments available in the U.S., including fresh flower bulbs for spring and fall planting, flower seeds, vegetable seeds and herb seeds. Our seeds are always 100% pure and non-GMO. We feature thousands of heirloom and certified organic seeds, as well as rare seeds and hard-to-find varieties for gardening enthusiasts of all skill levels. To learn more, visit www.edenbrothers.com.

About Kian Capital Partners

At Kian, we forge partnerships to ignite growth and build enduring value. Our goal is to provide flexible financial resources and additional operational horsepower to scale lower middle-market businesses, realize aspirations and deliver long-term investment returns through genuine partnership. Kian is a lower-middle-market-focused private investment firm with $1.1 billion of capital under management. We partner with founder/owner-operated businesses in the essential services and value-added distribution sectors. Our team of seasoned investors brings over 100 years of collective experience to provide board-level strategic and operational guidance to drive transformational growth by implementing our proven Blueprint for Enduring Value.

Kian has been recognized by Inc. Magazine’s list of Top Founder-Friendly Investors for six consecutive years. To learn more, visit www.kiancapital.com.

Disclaimer

Except where otherwise indicated, the information contained herein is based on matters as they exist as of the date of preparation of such material and not as of the date of distribution or any future date.

This article does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase any investments or securities, including any securities of Kian Capital (“Kian”), or any funds or accounts managed or advised by Kian in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation.

Any such offer or solicitation may be made only by means of the delivery of a confidential private offering memorandum (the “Memorandum”), which will contain material information not included herein regarding, among other things, information with respect to risks and potential conflicts of interest, and other offering and governance documents of any given fund or account (collectively with the Memorandum, the “Fund Documents”).

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260113760631/en/

CONTACT: Business Inquiries

David Duke

Partner, Business Development

[email protected]

T 470.823.3008Media Inquiries

Jan Morris

MiddleM Creative (on behalf of Kian Capital Partners)

[email protected]

T 904.210.3302

KEYWORD: NORTH CAROLINA GEORGIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY FINANCE BANKING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HOME GOODS RETAIL