Proven Winners’ New Retail Account Manager Jessica DeGraaf Excited To Work With Independent Garden Centers
November 4, 2015 
Jessica DeGraaf
Proven Winners recently hired Jessica DeGraaf to fill a new staff position dedicated exclusively to servicing independent garden centers, which comprise 77 percent of the company’s total customer base.
DeGraaf, formerly of Walters Gardens, a Proven Winners perennials provider, joined the Proven Winners team as retail account manager. In her new role, she will serve as a business development facilitator between independent garden centers and their grower suppliers, brokers and sales representatives.
DeGraaf is an industry veteran with prior work in sales and marketing at Benary Seed Company and C. Raker & Sons. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from Michigan State University.
As she settles into her new role, DeGraaf also took the time to answer a couple of questions from Greenhouse Grower magazine:
GG: What are some of the best ways to improve or enhance the relationship between independent garden center retailers and the growers/brokers they work with?
DeGraaf: Communication is key. We often hear from retailers that express frustration that they can’t find new varieties, or that there isn’t a wholesale grower in their area that carries the varieties they are looking for. In my experience, most wholesalers are more than happy to bring in new varieties, they just need to know what the retailer is looking for. I think that communication is also key with the broker sales representatives as well. Broker sales representatives are fantastic sources of information and look to bring products and programs that truly work for the retailer. If for some reason a retailer can’t find Proven Winners varieties in their area, let me know. We would be happy to work with them to ensure that they are able to source our products.
GG: How will your prior experience at Walters Gardens, Benary and C. Raker and Sons help you in your new role?
DeGraaf: I’ve been blessed to work for some fantastic organizations and dynamic individuals in our industry. My primary focus for the various roles was in plant selection and trials, and marketing and sales of both annual and perennial varieties. Growing up as part of a family owned, small independent garden center in Michigan has also given me a great perspective of the industry from a retail focus. My goal moving forward is to build and strengthen relationships within this market, and to bring programs and tools that will benefit garden centers. I am thrilled to go back to my roots to support the garden center channel moving forward.
“We are extremely excited that Jessica is joining Proven Winners as her strong background in the industry combined with her professionalism and charming personality will be a huge asset to the thousands of garden centers that participate in the Proven Winners program,” says Dave Konsoer, director of sales for Proven Winners. “Jessica will specifically focus on the needs of independent garden centers, which will allow Proven Winners to strengthen our existing relationships and create new partnerships within the independent channel as well as bring innovative programs to this vital segment of our industry.”
Konsoer also notes that Proven Winners will continue to offer free staff training to independent retailers through its certified program, providing event planning services and a host of additional value-added services designed to help independent retailers increase sales.
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