Greenhouse Grower Thrilled To Honor 2014 Medal of Excellence Winners

Ivan Tchakarov came to Metrolina Greenhouses for an 18-month internship, during which he worked in the tissue culture laboratory. He was hired on as a plug grower and became director of propagation in 2006. Five years later, he was promoted to director of growing, in charge of all production across Metrolina’s 330 growing acres.

Since its start in 1971, Henry Mast Greenhouses, located in Byron Center, Mich., has operated through most of its history as an independent grower and distributor. Today, it is one of two production arms for Masterpiece Flower Company, which is the sales, distribution and merchandising company that provides plants for Meijer and the Home Depot.

Endless Summer, the hydrangea that became a household name and acted as a catalyst to make Bailey Nurseries the multi-platform company it is today, started out humbly. It was a the sport of a forgotten mail-order Hydrangea macrophylla that Bailey’s grower Vern Black noticed in his neighbor’s yard. It famously had blooms on both new and old growth, Endless Summer’s revolutionary characteristic.

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Terra Nova Nurseries is a haven of breeding majesty, where plants thrive in the temperate, cool climate. The breeder, located in Canby, Oregon, has enriched the industry with more than 700 new plant varieties, including 30 that have been recognized with national and international awards.