In Memoriam: Richard Hollander

Chris Beytes

If you’ve bought plant material from Abbott-IPCO in Texas, then you most likely recognize the name here. Richard was co-owner, with his brother, Marvin, of Abbott-IPCO, the company founded by his late father, Harry. Richard passed away on June 19 after a battle with cancer. He was just 58.

Born in Holland, Richard came to the United States at 6 months old when his Dutch parents emigrated from Holland. Early on, Richard expressed his competitive nature, first through soccer and later in the horticulture business. As a graduate of Texas Tech University, Richard excelled in sales and joined his father at Abbott-IPCO in 1990.

Though Abbott-IPCO had sold bulbs for decades, Harry and business partner Bob Hartman started their own Florida caladium nursery, Classic Caladiums, in 2000, specifically to develop new genetics for the industry. Since its inception, Richard worked with the Classic team in developing more than 90 patented caladium varieties. Richard was proud that he named many popular varieties.

In 2014, Harry retired and handed the management reins to his sons (Harry passed in 2017). Most recently, the third generation of Hollanders, Richard’s son, Ryan, and Marvin’s son, Jake, have joined the company. GT