Proven Winners and Unex Add New Sales and Leadership Roles

Proven Winners and Unex have announced the following additions to their respective teams.

Proven Winners Expands Sales Team with Regional Account Rep

Proven Winners has announced the addition of Tara Blunt as a Regional Account Representative. In her new role, Blunt will be responsible for inside liner sales in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; all retail-ready sales in Michigan and Ohio; and inside retail-ready sales in Indiana.

“We are delighted to welcome Tara back to the Proven Winners family,” says Jessica DeGraaf, Vice President of Sales. “Her experience and passion for the industry are a welcome addition to the team.”

Blunt has extensive experience in the horticulture industry, including 12 years at Four Star Greenhouse (now operating as Proven Winners Carleton) and, most recently, six years at MasterTag.

“I am excited to return to a company that has always been a leader in the industry,” says Blunt. “With the merger of two strong industry partners, the company is positioned for an even stronger future, combining expertise and innovation, and quickly adapting to the best technologies and solutions available. I am looking forward to being a part of that growth and bringing my experience back to the team.”

Unex Inc. Announces New Head of North American Sales and Operations

Unex Inc., a Dutch exporter of bare root perennials and bulbs, is announcing the appointment of Ms. Joey Wiseman as its new Head of North American Sales and Operations.

In this role, Joey will lead Unex’s continued perennial sales and distribution efforts throughout the North American market, working with plant brokers, large-scale growers, and retailers. She will also serve as the primary contact for all North American business and new varieties emerging from Unex’s bare root perennial and bulb programs.

“I am very excited about this new opportunity,” says Wiseman. “Bare root perennials have always been a passion of mine, and Unex’s diverse selection of perennial products, combined with their quick production times, is unsurpassed in our industry. I have known the team at Unex for many years and have always felt this would be a great place for me to contribute. I’m excited to begin this new endeavor and make an impact that supports our wide base of grower customers.”

“We represent high-quality products from bare root and bulb producers across Holland,” says Unex Inc. Owner and CEO, Niels Mulder. “Having Joey in place gives us a boots-on-the-ground advantage in the North American market. She has many years of experience working with the staff and products exported by Unex, as well as extensive experience working with North American perennial growers. We are very excited to welcome her to the team.”

Joey is known throughout the industry for her work in developing ThinkPlants®, where she served as Director for nearly nine years. “Helping develop ThinkPlants was very rewarding, and I look forward to seeing the program and its participants continue to grow and succeed,” says Wiseman.

Joey’s official start date with Unex Inc. is Oct. 1, 2026, and she says, “I look forward to getting out there to visit and work with perennial growers. Grower interaction and helping them be successful with their perennial crops is the most important thing. If a grower is successful, then Unex is successful.”