On the Move_July

Ellen C. Wells

Brand Flowers 
Brand Flowers has changed its name to Farmers’ West Flowers & Bouquets, Inc. Wilja Happé, owner, explains the new name reflects the company’s identity as an established California flower grower.” Farmers’ West operates 1.5 million sq. ft. of cut flower production in four growing locations on California’s central coast. It specializes in Dutch flower varieties such as lilies, tulips, dahlia and gerbera as well as California specialty cut flower varieties. Established in 1990, the company currently employs over 300 year-round employees.

Sun Gro 
Sun Gro Horticulture Distribution, North America’s largest producer of sphagnum peat, and the largest distributor of peat moss and peat and bark-based growing media to professional plant growers in the U.S. and Canada, has made the following changes and additions to its western region professional and retail sales teams during the last six months.

John Hoffman joined the Western Region Sales Team of Sun Gro Horticulture as the California sales manager for retail products. He brings more than 25 years of sales and management experience within the lawn and garden industry to his new role.

Rita Slack joined the Western Region sales team as the retail sales manager. She has more than 25 years of extensive retail background in the lawn and garden industry.

Jay Pearson in now responsible for fertilizer, retail and professional product sales in Hawaii, in addition to his southwest fertilizer territory responsibilities. Jay began his career with Sun Gro in spring of 2007 after more than 22 years of experience in the horticulture industry.

Jon Anderson, formerly the production manager for Sun Gro’s Santa Maria facility, joined the professional sales team as a professional products sales manager for the newly created California coastal south territory.
Sun Gro also has two new professional area managers. Joe Cimino, formerly the retail sales manager for the California and Hawaii territories, is now professional area south manager, covering Arizona and California, with four district managers reporting to him. Joe’s background includes nearly 25 years of experience in agriculture, floriculture and horticulture.

Shahin Ashraf rejoins Sun Gro as the new professional area north manager. Shahin will be responsible for all professional sales in the Pacific Northwest and mountain states, and both professional and retail sales in western Canada. He has four district managers that report to him.

Scotts The Scotts Company has a new organizational structure for its North America Professional Business Group’s marketing team. According to Scotts, the move will help the Professional Business Group continue its development of new services and products while contributing to a more cohesive global marketing effort.

Chris Buchheit, formerly marketing manager for controlled release fertilizers, has been appointed North American marketing manager for ornamental horticulture, which includes Scotts’ flagship brand of Osmocote controlled release fertilizer.

Richard Morris, formerly plant protection marketing manager, is now marketing manager of all professional landscape and plant protection products, handling the Landscaper PRO turf care product line as well as Scotts’ professional fungicides, herbicides, miticides and insecticides. He’ll also be responsible for the management of global plant protection portfolio.

Ryan Lewis has been named marketing communications manager for the North America Professional Business Group.  Lewis will now manage all marketing services and communications coming out of North America.

Lisa Koonts, marketing services specialist, rejoined the Professional Business Group in March.

Becker Underwood
Katrina Pfaff has joined Becker Underwood, a supplier of beneficial nematodes, as field development specialist. She’ll focus on maintaining and improving the company’s line of beneficial nematode products. She’ll be involved in trials and research projects and serve as a resource for research collaborators and growers.

Aquascape
Ed Beaulieu was promoted from vice president of field research to chief sustainability officer for Aquascape. He will oversee the development and implementation of the company’s sustainable and environmental initiatives. Ed began in Aquascape’s construction department in 1993 and has proved instrumental in designing the company’s product line.

NGMA
Anthony Viscariello has been hired as communications manager for the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association. Anthony was previously lead public relations account executive at The Montello Agency, Jacksonville, Florida. Anthony replaces Bethany Dennis, who is leaving NGMA to pursue a master’s degree in interpersonal communications at Kent State University.