Our Ones To Watch

Our Ones To Watch

We celebrated our 25th anniversary over the last few issues by taking a look at people we expect to make a difference in the industry over the next 25 years. They’re all visionaries as inventors, innovators and voices for change. Our grower profile series is now complete, but here’s a glance back at all 25 people profiled over the course of the last five months.

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Todd Lighthouse
Lighthouse Gardens
Has a business plan for providing organically grown plants that can be shipped directly to your door.

Denise Godfrey
Olive Hill Greenhouses
Invests her time with industry organizations and speaks her mind to ensure a future for the growing community.

John Bonner
Eagle Creek Wholesale
Bold enough to try new production practices, smart enough to learn from failures and emphasizes sustainability in business.

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Fran Hopkins
Under A Foot Plant Company
Built the plants-you-can-walk-on concept that is STEPABLES and educates consumers on how they can best use them.

Rebecca Siemonsma
Paul Ecke Ranch
Provides technical support and advice for poinsettia growers in several ways, including Webinars.

Chad Underwood
Kalamazoo Flower Group
Sets the vision for his revamped company, making a significant investment in the construction of a new cross-dock facility.

Raymond Bowdish
Never Tire Farm
Invented the Garden Pallet, a system of delivering entire landscapes that require no site preparation.

Andy Ambrosio
Wenke Greenhouses
Plays a key role with the Kalamazoo Flower Group brokerage division and believes in serving independent garden centers with value.

Peggy Van De Wetering

Ivy AcresInvolved in alternative packaging solutions for growers like the environmentally friendly StrawPot.

Martin Stockton
First Step Greenhouses
Up for propagating anything, works intensely with new software and isn’t afraid to bite the bullet and dump product when necessary.

Lisa Takao
Takao Nursery
Develops innovative marketing programs to appeal to younger consumers and lifestyle interests.

Dave Doolittle
Terra Nova Nurseries
Quick to develop programs that appeal to Generations X and Y and ideas that involve his peers.

Abe and Art Van Wingerden
Metrolina Greenhouses
Leading one of the largest and most successful plant growing operations in the industry, excelling at serving box stores.

Stephen Barlow
Barlow Flower Farm
Envisions the development of a growing location where his business can sustain itself and thinks for the smaller grower.

Chad Corso
Corso’s Flower & Garden Center
Has grown the family business in perennials over the last decade working with independent garden centers and Lowe’s.

Pamela Youngsman
Skagit Gardens
Serves on the OFA Board of Directors and OFA Exhibitor Advisory Committee while representing the next generation of the business.

Dominik Neisser
EuroAmerican Propagators
Volunteered to manage the internship program at EuroAmerican and continually strives to master production.

John Mossel
Grand Flower Growers
Helps manage many of Home Depot’s national corporate initiatives for tagging, containers and genetics.

Jennifer Kurtz
Kurtz Farms
Invented the Urban Gardener planters and created programs for her invention to provide instant impact for consumers looking to decorate with plants without too much fuss.

Lawrence Ohlman III
Ohlman Farm & Greenhouse
Started his own venture, Ecologic Products, based on developing sustainable products consumers can use for everyday life.

Matt Mart
Amerinova
Big on new product development and has an eye for what the next hot industry items will be.

Susie Raker
C. Raker & Sons
Represents the next generation of her company, putting an emphasis on innovation, service and quality.

Alex Fell
Kraft Gardens
Very involved in industry organizations and has received awards on behalf of Kraft for its dedication to innovation.

Charlie Cole
Cole Gardens
Already involved in two of OFA’s planning committees and is not afraid to take risks with his retail operation.

Jonathan Cude
Sedan Floral
With his engineering background, focused on improving efficiency and optimizing all aspects of his family’s business of 60-plus years.

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