Ramsey Yoder, Chairman of Aris Horticulture, Passes Away
March 9, 2021 
Ramsey Yoder
Another greenhouse industry visionary has passed away. Aris Horticulture, Inc. recently announced the passing of its Chairman, G. Ramsey Yoder who died on Tuesday, March 2, at the age of 87 from complications related to pneumonia.
Yoder served as President of Yoder Brothers, Inc. (which changed its name to Aris Horticulture in 2008) starting in 1977 and then CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1989. He retired as CEO in 1992 but remained as Chairman.
Yoder graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. Degree in Floriculture in 1955. He also completed the Small Business Owners Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Prior to his executive positions, he joined Yoder Brothers in 1955 as a mum propagator in the company’s Barberton, OH, greenhouses. He was promoted to management in 1959 when he transferred to California to develop the Salinas, CA, operation. He remained there as General Manager for 10 years before coming back to Barberton to become Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
According to a statement from Aris Horticulture, Yoder explained that his first taste of the business came when he was 13 working at the mushroom barn filling rail carts for mushroom trays. His life’s work was centered on the company for more than 74 years.
After some challenging years in the 1970s, Yoder oversaw a reorganization in the 1980s leading to a growth spurt, improved profitability, and further European expansion. Then, the Keepsake Plants finished products business in Canada took off and the company expanded again in Europe. Soon thereafter, the company took steps to restructure to direct sales in the U.S. and added mum production in Kenya. In the 1990s, Yoder led the company’s efforts to diversify away from mums and invest in the faster growing perennial garden plant segment. His vision helped the company leverage its strengths, adapt to change, and become a leading, world-class horticulture company.
Throughout Yoder’s career, he fostered a close-knit relationship with employees, customers, and top industry leaders. He recently wrote in connection with the company’s 100-year anniversary that “it’s been an exciting life met with challenges”, but he always looked to the future. He was quick to acknowledge and thank the employees for their efforts and determination and was hopeful for even more success in the future. He described the company and its success as offering customers “something to grow on”, which, he said, has a deeper meaning. “We are proud of our product, but to find the real essence of Aris, we must look further … to the people and events that have shaped our company.”
“The company’s achievements under his leadership have made a lasting impact on the industry,” said Scott Schaefer, President and CEO of Aris Horticulture. “While no one is ever completely ready for such an event, the company and Yoder family have provided for succession and Board of Directors transition.”
Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily routines, Yoder stayed engaged and productive until just recently. He lived on a farm in Tinmouth, VT, he loved to travel, and he was an avid fly-fisherman.
Pre-deceased by his first wife, Patty, Yoder is survived by two sons, Brad and Shane, and wife Denise (Tess). He will be greatly missed by all Aris employees, who send their condolences to the Yoder family.
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