On The Move

Jennifer Zurko

AGROLINKS
Neil Coppinger has accepted the newly created position of Director, National Accounts for AgroLinks. In his new position, Neil is respon-sible for North American sales of AgroLinks environmental control and nutrient systems, along with AgroLinks newly designed and patented motor controls to be released soon in 2017.

BALL SEED
The 2018 New Varieties Seed & Vegetative catalog is available now from Ball Seed. The 96-page guide supplements the full Ball Seed Catalog and features an expanded product offering of breeding breakthroughs in annuals (Lucky Star Pentas and Mysty Salvia), perennials (Rose Marvel Salvia), vegetables (Burpee Collections), potted plants (ornamental peppers) and more.

In addition to breeding, the catalog showcases advances in technology, including new Precision Multi-Pellets, as well as effective sales tools with mixed container recipes and programs. Customers will also find valuable marketing support materials (pots, tags and signage) to assist new product promotion.

All Ball Seed literature, including the 2018 Ball Seed New Varieties Seed & Vegetative Catalog, can be found online at www.ballseed.com/catalogsbrochures. To request a printed copy, contact your Ball Seed sales rep or Ball ColorLink specialist.

DÜMMEN ORANGE
Dümmen Orange recently announced new hires to the company. Joel Kempfer is a new member of the annual bedding plant product team as Annuals Product Manager. With more than 13 years of industry experience—including research, production, sales and product development—Joel contributes robust and well-rounded expertise to the existing product management team. An Army and Iraq war veteran, Joel comes to Dümmen Orange from the Fred C. Gloeckner Company. His industry experience also includes management of a horticulture program for the Brookwood Community, a non-profit organization near Houston, Texas, along with managing the pest and disease program for Greenleaf Nursery in El Campo, Texas.

Diana Shull is now a member of the North American technical team. Diana brings over 25 years of experience to the organization and will be leveraging the production expertise she gained from working for some of the industry’s top companies in her new role: Wagner Greenhouses, Ball Horticultural Company and, most recently, Center Greenhouse. Her broad production experience growing annuals, perennials and poinsettias will bring a personal insight to the technical support she provides.

Angela Storm, an industry veteran, has joined the sales team to support customers and brokers in the western United States. She will serve western-region customers as the primary point of contact, providing tailored support throughout the entire customer journey. Angela brings over 22 years of experience to the organization, including appointments at Ball Horticultural Company, where she represented Ball FloraPlant and Selecta genetics, as well as nine years at Dramm & Echter serving as the general manager.

Whitney Voelker is a Junior Sales Associate for the Western U.S. region. A recent graduate from Purdue University with a degree in Agribusiness Management and a specialization in Horticulture, Whitney offers a fresh and focused perspective to share with customers. The Junior Sales Associate role is the latest enhancement to the Dümmen Orange sales team structure, adding additional field support to the senior sales team.  Whitney will be responsible for analyzing and identifying growth opportunities for customers.

MCHUTCHISON, VAUGHAN’S
McHutchison Horticultural Distributors and Vaughan’s Horticulture announced the hiring of seven new sales representatives to add to their North American sales teams. Trevor Hilburn (Texas), Matt Kurseth (Michigan), Jay Paulette (Virginia/Maryland), Bob Souza (Massachusetts) and Howard Stern (Massachusetts) have all joined the McHutchison sales team; while Melissa Dorcinvil (New York) and Kevin Echevarria (New Jersey) join Vaughan’s Horticulture.

EMERALD COAST GROWERS
Emerald Coast Growers’ 2017-18 Resource Guide features full-color, professionally shot photos of Emerald Coast Growers’ vast offering of perennials, succulents, specialty plants and the industry’s largest selection of ornamental grasses. A critical tool for growers and brokers alike, this year’s guide features new varieties, plus maintains the company’s signature ornamental grass program, while significantly expanding their perennial plants line. For more information on Emerald Coast Growers or any of their products, visit www.ecgrowers.com or call (877) 804-7277.

GRIFFIN
Griffin has announced the publication of its new seed and plant catalog for the 2017-18 season. The 2018 catalog is available in both print and digital formats, features more than 350 new varieties from the industry’s leading breeders and covers more than 3,300 seed items, including annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, herbs and vegetables. The 2018 Seed & Plant digital catalog includes all of the variety information and photography from the print edition, plus additional resources for growers. Griffin has added 21 digital-only extras—crop culture, quick reference guides, mixed container recipes and other tools to enhance production success.

The Griffin 2018 catalog is available now for digital download at www.griffins.com/publications. The digital edition is best suited for use on tablets and computers. Print catalogs are available through your local Griffin sales representative or by calling (800) 323-7253.

JR PETERS
JR Peters, designers and producers of water-soluble fertilizers and horticultural laboratory services for more than 70 years, announced that Alicia Rittenhouse has joined the company as a Territory Manager to support growers and retailers in their use and sales of Jack’s fertilizer products. In her new role, Alicia will be a critical link between customers, distributors and Jack’s.

Throughout Alicia’s career, she’s touched various facets of the industry—growers, retailers, academia, suppliers and distributors. Prior to joining the JR Peters Blue Crew, Alicia served as the Vice President—Member & Strategic Engagement at AmericanHort.

PHILIPS LIGHTING
Philips Lighting announced the hiring of Aart Slobbe, key account manager, Horticulture LED Solutions for Australia and New Zealand. This new hire will address the increasing demand for LED lighting in Australia and New Zealand. Apart from three years in New Zealand, Aart has been actively working in the vegetable seed industry since 1989 in various commercial roles. During the last five years, Aart was active in product development for high wire crops, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. As a key account manager, Aart will collaborate with Philips LED Horti Partner Powerplants Australia to develop LED solutions for Australian and New Zealand commercial growers.

He’s been involved with the Australian and New Zealand vegetable industry since 1992. Aart has also held various positions at De Ruiter Seeds and at De Ruiter brand as part of Monsanto. GT