New and Familiar Faces Take on Key Roles at Proven Winners, PDSI, and ForemostCo
February 21, 2023 
Amy Howard has joined the Proven Winners team as a new Retail Account Manager for the Southeastern region of the U.S.
In the Regional Account Manager role, Howard will focus on the needs of independent garden centers, more specifically on strengthening existing relationships. She will also work to create new partnerships and brand-building opportunities within this vital segment of the gardening industry.
Over the past 11 years, Howard has worked for Spring Meadow Nursery as a territory sales representative in the Southeast region. There, she was influential in building relationships in the garden center channel and within the wholesale grower network. Her work created significant demand and generated substantial sales for Proven Winners ColorChoice Flowering Shrubs.
Howard brings a wealth of knowledge and connections and, most importantly, is passionate about building relationships and programs that contribute to independent garden center success. She can be reached at [email protected].
Plant Development Services Names Heather Gronek as Operations Manager
Plant Development Services, Inc. (PDSI), a national leader in the breeding, development, and distribution of high-performing plants, has hired Heather Gronek as Operations Manager.
Gronek brings two decades of industry expertise in positions spanning from major national growers to the nursery and landscape space. A graduate of the Plant and Soil Science program at Middle Tennessee State University, she has significant experience in coordinating growth and production operations at a national scale.
At PDSI, Gronek will lead the company’s production team and advance research and development efforts to accommodate the company’s growing portfolio of brands and plants. As 2023 marks the consumer launch of PDSI’s debut BetterBoxwood and Butterfly Candy collections as well as a wave of high-profile new releases from Southern Living Plant Collection, Encore Azalea, and Sunset Plant Collection, Gronek will play a critical role in streamlining operations and expanding capacity.
“We are delighted to welcome Heather to the PDSI team,” says Kevin Northrop, Vice President of Marketing and Operations. “Heather’s experience on building supply chains for new genetics will be a huge asset. With Heather advancing our production, research, and development, we eagerly anticipate the acceleration of key strategic priorities in the coming years.”
“I am thrilled to begin my role at PDSI and contribute to the legacy of this pioneer in the field of horticulture,” Gronek says. “PDSI’s leadership in discovering, developing, and showcasing visionary new plants aligns with my own commitment to operational excellence. I’m delighted to work with our growers and partners to develop new strategies that increase our capabilities, and I look forward to being a part of this winning team.”
ForemostCo Announces Key Personnel Changes
ForemostCo has appointed Christopher Drogos as National Sales Manager. Former National Sales Manager Chris Rocheleau has been promoted to General Manager of Phoenix Foliage.
A sales veteran and new National Sales Manager, Drogos has more than two decades of experience building and handling large sales territories for his previous employer, Gourmet Foods International. While Drogos has extensive experience in leading a sales team at GFI, he has also been responsible for adding approximately $95 million in sales to the company from his own accounts, as well as single-handedly bringing Disney to their list of clients.
Drogos’ experience in a fast past industry, understanding of cool/cold chain logistics, and selling products with short-shelf life will aid him well in his new role. His creative, customer-centric, and data-analytic manner of managing is an exciting addition to the ForemostCo team as the company continues to rapidly grow.
Former National Sales Manager Chris Rocheleau is looking forward to returning to the production side of the industry in his new role as General Manager at Phoenix Foliage. Rocheleau has extensive experience in ornamental plant production. He has held positions at YC Nursery and Casa Flora, as well as four and a half years as a young plants head grower at Costa Farms in South Florida.
More recently, Rocheleau developed the Texas territory as a Sales representative for ForemostCo Inc. he then successfully spearheaded the overall sales effort as National Sales Manager for the past year and a half. His intrinsic knowledge of both the production and sales side of the industry makes him an ideal fit for the General Manager position at Phoenix Foliage.
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