Find Out Who Won the 2023 International Grower of the Year Award at IPM Essen
January 26, 2023 
Photo: AIPH
Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd. (BTN), a Canadian ornamentals grower, was named the International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) for 2023 by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH).
The Gold Rose award was presented to BTN by Royal FloraHolland CEO Steven van Schilfgaarde at the AIPH IGOTY Awards Ceremony 2023 on Jan. 24 at IPM Essen in Germany.
Founded in 2009 with the support of Royal FloraHolland and FloraCulture International, the IGOTY Awards recognize best practice in horticulture by the top ornamental production nurseries from around the globe, celebrating the expertise and energy they give to horticulture.
BTN is one of the largest and most respected growers of garden plants in Canada. It services garden retailers, landscape contractors, municipalities, and golf courses throughout Canada and the U.S. With four farms in Ontario and one in British Columbia, BTN has a land base of more than 800 acres.
“We feel amazing, so blessed, to be honored with these awards,” said Jeff Olsen, President and CEO of BTN. “It means so much to me personally and our whole team back in Canada. We’re so excited to tell them the news.”
Jason Rekker, National Production Manager for BTN, added: “The level of competition here is extremely high and we’re humbled by that. There are so many fantastic growers here, so it feels very special for us to be recognized in this way.”
In addition to the Gold Rose Award, BTN was also awarded gold in the Finished Plants & Trees category, presented by Bernard Oosterom, Chair of the IGOTY 2023 Jury, and bronze in the Sustainability category, presented by Sarah von Fintel, Key Account Manager for GlobalG.A.P. and G.N.N. Label.
“Brookdale Treeland Nurseries stands out as a business focused on the future; with a wide assortment and a flow of new varieties, it brings something new to the industry all the time,” Oosterom said. “The business prioritizes sustainable production and innovation with a commitment to knowledge exchange and growing a strong team. Its dynamic approach has enabled it to develop new products and markets and is well founded to lead the industry in the years ahead.”
The IGOTY 2023 category winners are:
- Young International Grower of the Year – Eliot Barden
Young Plants
- Gold: Morel Diffusion, France
- Silver: SB Talee de Colombia SAS, Colombia
- Bronze: Xiamen Ican Seed Co., Ltd., China
Finished Plants & Trees
- Gold: Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd., Canada
- Silver: Giorgio Tesi Group, Italy
- Bronze: Fructoplant SP. Z O.O., Poland
Cut Flowers & bulbs
- Gold: Royal Base Corporation, Chinese Taipei
- Silver: Zhejiang Toyoshima Co., LTD., China
- Bronze: Zentoo, the Netherlands
Sustainability
- Gold: Allensmore Nurseries, UK
- Silver: Xiamen Ican Seed Co., Ltd., China
- Bronze: Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd, Canada
For more information about each of the winners, take a look at the digital Winners Brochure.
AIPH thanks Headline Sponsor Royal FloraHolland, Founding Partner FloraCulture International, Sapphire Sponsor GLOBALG.A.P. & GGN Label, Pearl Sponsors IPM Essen and SB Talee, and Awards Partner CIOPORA for their continued support of the awards.
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