Meet the New Faces at BIOTROP, Dramm, and Monrovia

BIOTROP, Dramm, and Monrovia have announced the following additions to their respective teams.

Monrovia Welcomes Celeste Porter as New Chief Financial Officer

Monrovia welcomes Celeste Porter as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. Porter brings a wealth of knowledge gained in the agriculture industry, most recently with Grimmway Produce Group and Tasteful Selections LLC, where she served as CFO.

Porter studied at Boston University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University and a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University.

“As we prepare for sustainable growth in our next 100 years, we are thrilled to have Celeste’s expertise,” says Jonathan Pedersen, President and CEO of Monrovia. “Her strategic leadership in agribusiness and manufacturing translates to the horticulture industry and will help us continue to build Monrovia’s operational efficiency and financial strength.”

“I’m honored to join this remarkable team,” says Porter. “I look forward to building upon the strong foundation Monrovia has established over the past century, supporting thoughtful growth, and helping cultivate the next chapter of excellence.”

Porter began her new role in June and takes over for Frank van Straalen, who retired last month. Van Straalen joined Monrovia in 2014 and helped direct the company financially through years of change and growth. “Frank was instrumental in guiding Monrovia through many strategic shifts, including our expansion into Lowe’s and entering online sales,” says Pedersen. “His knowledge and dedication helped Monrovia evolve, and we are grateful for his leadership.”

BIOTROP Appoints Andre Cerignoni as General Manager of North America

BIOTROP, the microbiological solutions division of BioFirst Group, today announced the appointment of Andre Cerignoni as General Manager of BIOTROP North America, effective August 2026. In this newly created role, Cerignoni will lead the combined North American platform encompassing BioWorks North America and BIOTROP USA, reporting directly to Jonas Hipolito, President of BIOTROP.

Cerignoni brings more than a decade of experience in biological crop protection and biostimulation across Brazil and the U.S. He joins BIOTROP from Koppert, where he most recently served as Marketing and Commercial Manager for the U.S., based in Indiana. Previously, he spent more than ten years at Koppert Brazil in progressively senior commercial and operational roles, culminating in the role of Marketing and Commercial Manager for the Brazilian market. He holds an MBA in Agriculture from the University of São Paulo (USP) and an MBA in Supply Chain Management from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).

“North America is the largest and most competitive biologicals market in the world, and our ambition matches the opportunity,” says Jonas Hipolito, President of BIOTROP. “Andre has exactly the profile this moment demands — deep market knowledge, commercial execution capability, and experience building teams across hemispheres. He inherits a strong foundation built by Chris Rose at BioWorks and Matheus Gueratto at BIOTROP USA, and together this trio gives us the leadership horsepower to pursue a bold target: more than $260 million in North American revenue by 2034.”

Dramm Welcomes Danny Graham as Northeastern Technical Representative

The Dramm Corporation welcomes Danny Graham as its new Northeastern Technical Representative. Danny brings valuable experience from both the grower and supplier sides of the industry. As a grower, Danny worked for multiple greenhouses in the Twin Cities area. Most recently, he supported growers as a distribution partner. Through both roles, Danny exhibited skills that will make him a valuable member of the Dramm Team.

In his new role, Danny will oversee distributor relationships and support commercial sales throughout the Northeastern region. This region encompasses the Northeastern quarter of the U.S.. He will work closely with customers across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maine and Rhode Island, focusing on solutions that include hand watering tools, complete irrigation systems, chemical application, horizontal airflow systems, humidity management tools, and integrated water system design.

To support this hire, Dramm has restructured its U.S. Sales Territories to strengthen service and support. Scott Sterling will manage the Western U.S. Region and Jason Grimmett will manage the Southeastern U.S. Region.