Sales Representatives
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Ron Bracciante
Nursery
Mobile Phone: (516) 526-4495
Office Phone: (631) 262-9533
Fax Number: (631) 262-9534
Ron graduated from Penn State University in 1963 with a degree in Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture. His career in the industry began at Ball Seed in 1963 in the Grower Service Department. In time, he moved on to The Henry F. Michell Company in 1964 where he initally managed the Nursery Department and then moved on to sales. Ron joined Vaughan's Seed Company in 1976 and stayed with them through all their iterations and partnership with McHutchison. Ron's passion is horticulture and is currently servicing New York.
Ron likes to travel and goes to Aruba, six weeks out of every year and works from the beach. His hobbies include selling plants, following sports (go Penn State and Giants!), watching movies, remembering phone numbers, and listening to music from the 50s and 60s as well as country music too. His life's passion is to sell plants as long as he's able to.
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Lori Crawford
Office Phone: (616) 786-2487
Fax Number: (888) 815-4321
Lori earned her degree in Horticulture at Michigan State University. She is knowledgeable about both finished and young plant production involving a diverse product mix including annuals, perennials, herbs and potted crops. Her approach to sales is organized with an emphasis on delivering the best customer service. Lori's objective is to form a partnership with customers for the purpose of developing growth and profitability for their business.
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Ken Day
Fax Number: (302) 235-1920
Ken graduated from Penn State University with a Degree in Ornamental Nursery Management. He currently covers Nursery and greenhouses in Eastern PA, South Jersey, & Delaware.
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Mark Faunce
Mobile Phone: (207) 415-1847
Office Phone: (207) 625-3075
Fax Number: (888) 502-4242
With over thirty years of experience as a professional horticulturist, Mark brings a high degree of expertise to the table. He's a staunch advocate for his clients, meeting and exceeding their needs on a daily basis. Mark believes in tailoring his approach to each specific client, with the ultimate goal of increasing their profitability.
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Trevor Hilburn
Mobile Phone: (912)503-5262
Fax Number: (973)317-5744
Trevor Hilburn serves our customers in Texas and Louisiana. A seasoned grower of 11+ years, Trevor has had experience with everything from pot crops, annuals and perennials to xeric. A native of Texas, Trevor began his horticultural career in Savannah, Georgia growing floral crops like Easter lilies and poinsettias. Once back in the Lone Star state, Trevor was head grower at a large perennial farm in the Dallas area before joining McHutchison in 2017. Feel free to reach out to Trevor for all your Greenhouse and Nursery needs.
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Jim Huesman
Mobile Phone: (513) 478-9615
Fax Number: (513) 922-1754
Jim has 35 years experience in the horticulture field with 22 years as a retail green goods buyer. The last 13 years he has been in sales, selling both greenhouse and nursery. Jim enjoys offering personal customer service to each customer.
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Tim Mecham
Mobile Phone: (801) 698-9590
Fax Number: (801) 992-8320
Tim Mecham covers the Utah, Idaho and Montana territories. He has spent the last 30 years in the horticulture industry in a number of positions including production management, sales/sales management and purchasing. Tim has a passion for this industry and looks forward to providing the service you need.
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Jay Paulette
Mobile Phone: 434-363-0008
Fax Number: 973-317-5749
Jay has over 10 years of experience in the green industry, with nine of those years spent as nursery manager for Guthrie Nursery Inc. in Lynchburg, VA. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Horticulture. Jay has worked as a buyer, grower, and seller of nursery stock , which has developed a comprehensive understanding of many aspects of the industry (nursery suppliers, landscapers, and garden centers.).
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Patrick Peterson
Mobile Phone: (314) 575-6988
Office Phone: (618) 656-9192
Fax Number: (618) 655-0217
Patrick has experienced most aspects of the Horticultural industry including greenhouse, nursery and garden center management. He has flourished in all those ventures. He even owned a garden center and landscape operation for 18 years. Patrick Is also flourishing in sales. He puts the customers interest first by recommending products they will be successful with.
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Mark Rathnaw
Mobile Phone: (630) 975-0664
Fax Number: (630) 495-0665
Mark is persistent about quality. With 27 plus years experience, his territory is northern IL and eastern WI. Give Mark a call, let his experience work for you.
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Barry Zug
Mobile Phone: (412) 849-7780
Fax Number: (973) 712-0363
Barry Zug is a veteran of the western Pennsylvania horticulture market. Spending the last decades servicing nursery, landscaping and retail customers, Barry has developed a keen sense for what works and sells in his market. Being a Penn State University graduate, Barry fits right in with many of our other sales reps. Barry and his wife and son live outside of Pittsburgh and enjoy their family time together, and if Barry is not working, you will probably find him watching their son participate in his many sporting events.
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Nicole Vogt
Mobile Phone: (724) 678-7899
Fax Number: (973) 712-0363
Nicole Vogt graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Agriculture, and gained her horticultural industry experience in the Pittsburgh area, where most recently she was the retail manager for an IGC. You will find Nicole’s work ethic and positive attitude, combined with her understanding and insight of the retail garden customer, to be an asset to your company. Nicole currently lives in Western PA with her husband and two children.
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John Thorsen
Mobile Phone: (630) 263-2914
Fax Number: (888) 802-1280
John is on his way to becoming one of the top sales reps at McHutchison. That only occurs through performance. John is capable and willing to recommend profitable products to his accounts. He is knowledgeable and hard working, Give John a call.
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Chris Avani
Mobile Phone: (269) 209-6624
Fax Number: (609) 435-1495
Chris is a Michigan State University horticulture alumni and has been involved in the horticulture distribution industry since graduation. He has a passion for creating partnerships with his customers to help their businesses grow. Chris loves to camp on the weekends and is a bit of a movie buff.
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Erik Jensen
Nursery
Mobile Phone: (908)-963-5865
Fax Number: (201)-624-7806
Erik Jensen is a Rutgers University graduate with over 20 years’ experience in the horticulture industry. His McHutchison tenure started in 2007 where his responsibilities included customer service, logistics, sales management, and most importantly, plant sourcing for the Nursery Division. Erik’s duties sourcing plants have taken him from coast to coast and everywhere in between, making him extremely knowledgeable when it comes to plant procurement. In late 2018, Erik moved into his current role as Sales Representative for NY. His extensive knowledge of plants and the horticulture industry make him a great asset to customers. Erik prides himself on excellent customer service and strives to provide the highest quality plant material available.
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Danny Brooks
Mobile Phone: (678) 591-0690
Danny is a dedicated sales representative for the Southeast – covering South Carolina, Georgia, and Northeastern Alabama. Danny literally grew up in the greenhouse business – his father and uncle owned a garden center in Georgia for over 45 years. From his father Danny developed a love and appreciation for new varieties for plants; and from his uncle, he developed his business sense and customer listening skills. In Danny’s career, he’s sold at one time or another, everything necessary to run a thriving garden center as well as commercial greenhouse supplies. Danny and his wife Jody live on a farm in Dawsonville, where they enjoy the outdoors with their dog and horses.
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McHutchison
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Jim Spisak
Mobile Phone: (440) 796-3268
Office Phone: (855) 864-3300
Jim is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of working with growers and retailers. Customer service and relationship-building are hallmarks of Jim's approach and he enjoys developing plans for success for customers in the Ohio and eastern Michigan regions. Married to his wife, Jan, for 40 years, they have two sons and three grandchildren. They love to travel and enjoy exploring the West coast and Arizona areas. When he's not visiting customers and uncovering new avenues for your success, Jim enjoys his sports, including baseball, golf and football. He'd love to talk to you - give him a call!
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Yaun, Frank
Mobile Phone: (828) 214-9115
Fax Number: (866) 234-8884
Frank has been in agriculture his entire life, growing up on a farm in North Florida. He has been in the nursery industry since the late 80’s though there was a 4 year break where Frank made a living farming organic vegetables in North Florida and Bozeman, MT.
In addition to having a passion for plants, Frank is also passionate about fly fishing and guides on weekends.
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Tim Kilgore
Mobile Phone: (267) 547-8033
Fax Number: (866) 234-8884
Tim has worked in the Horticulture industry for 23 years. He held many positions from maintenance and retail to managing nurseries and re-wholesale yards. He has a good knowledge of the industry and is a supporter of native plants and pollinators. He also supports the initiative to curtail the use and spread of invasive plants. Tim is a plantsman and avid gardener.
Tim has a proven ability to manage several projects at once and works easily with customers and suppliers. His attention to detail will help him in horticultural sales.
Perhaps his most impressive trait is his willingness to volunteer as a Scoutmaster and volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Newtown, PA.
Tim is interested in learning about your business and is a gifted listener, a necessary trait in a good sales rep. Contact Tim at your earliest convenience.
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Andy Gorry
Andy has worked in the horticulture industry for over 25 years. After graduating from the University Of Connecticut with a degree in Plant Science; he worked at several nurseries and wholesale operations as the main buyer before he settled on sales 12 plus years ago.
His main focus is suppling quality material to growers, garden centers, wholesalers and landscape contractors
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Ryan Peterson
Mobile Phone: (816) 266 3595
Fax Number: (618) 655 0217
Ryan has over 20 years of experience in the nursery industry. He worked retail at his father’s garden center and then went onto landscape design and install. Ryan has a well-rounded view on the nursery business working from many angles. He is passionate about landscape design and unique material and plants, which carries over into helping customers with their needs for their business.
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Tim Meyers
Mobile Phone: (972) 415 1575
Tim’s extensive experience in the horticultural industry – 17 years! – has led him from Casa Flora and ABBOTT-IPCO, Inc. among others, to join us in serving customers in Texas and Louisiana. Tim is a true family man and, married to Shelley, they have three kids who are all grown and happily employed. That’s success! He’s loving his time as a grandfather to 3 beautiful grand-babies (ask to see the pictures). When he’s not spending time with his 3 horses and 35 chickens, Tim enjoys golf, college football and bringing you ideas and solutions to help you grow your business.
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Joe Rawley
Joe started in the hort industry in 1973; first as a humble greenhouse worker in Dallas, Texas and eventually to general manager of Aldershot of New Mexico during the 1980’s. Developing his career further, Joe managed other large wholesale operations in Texas and then began his sales career with Vaughan’s Seed Company in 1989.These days, Joe is not only busy keeping a keen eye on industry developments and trends but he finds the time to connect with growers, meet their challenges and coach them with helpful suggestions and cultural advice, ultimately helping make them successful. -
Avery Steinlage
New York: Long Island
Mobile Phone: (616) 638-8889
Fax Number: (855) 864-5790
Avery is a Michigan State alumni who has been around the industry his entire life and over the past 10 years, gained valuable brokerage experience. Currently Avery is the Regional Sales and Key Accounts Manager for McHutchison; he works with customers to bring a solution oriented approach to their business and helps streamline and maximize profitability.
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Mike Gilbert
Mobile Phone: 904-669-7148
Mike Gilbert has been in the nursery industry for 27 years with experience in wholesale operations, management, purchasing, logistics and sales. Mike finds satisfaction in providing solutions for his customers and making their projects run smooth. In his spare time Mike enjoys hunting and golfing.
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Henry Marzo
Mobile Phone: 786-340-0972
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Bob Munroe
Mobile Phone: 313-648-0875
Fax Number: 973-317-5743
Bob started his career in the horticulture industry at Shemin Nurseries as a summer job; he had plans to be a police officer but somewhere along the line he was bitten by the “green bug” and fell in love with the horticulture industry! The “summer job” has turned into 29 years of hands-on experience within the horticulture world.
The first 15 years Bob spent many years working in the nursery wholesale side, from general laborer to business development manager and at one point, a VP of Sales for a mid-size commercial landscape contracting/garden center firm. Most recently Bob sold commercial lawn and snow contracts and have championed the footprint and growth of Hot Pink Deicer across the country.
Bob is excited to be back to his roots and his true passion… providing people with beautiful options for their plant material needs.
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Sandy Gibson
Mobile Phone: 913-428-6106
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Julie Mallen
Mobile Phone: 816-351-3667
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Ashley Hansen
Mobile Phone: 612-434-5481
Ashley moved to Minnesota 10 years ago and now has a young, active family, who enjoy spending every moment outside in the sunshine. Ashley is a self-proclaimed “a lover of all things plants” and enjoys helping people understand that plants can help them become healthier and happier humans.
Ashley has a degree in Environmental Design from the University of Massachusetts with a concentration in horticulture. She is an ASHS certified horticulturalist and a certified nursery and landscape professional through the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association.
Ashley has cultivated a dynamic career across various branches of the horticulture industry; from growing at a wholesale nursery to creating harmonious, living works of art for residential landscape clients, her journey has been a tapestry of growth and discovery. She enjoys fostering relationships and guiding clients through ways to increase profitability by offering a curated selection of plants.
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Bob Nemeth
Mobile Phone: 631-416-2430
Bob’s horticultural career began in landscape design with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Plant Science from SUNY Cobleskill. His passion for plants led him to the profession of a green goods buyer, and to date has had 28-years of experience purchasing for retail garden centers, wholesale facilities and landscape companies. Top notch customer service is a priority achieved by developing relationships, focusing on customers’ needs, and tailoring custom solutions.
Bob is a long-time resident of Long Island, NY and serves on the committee for the Long Island Gold Medal Program which promotes exceptional and under-utilized plants for Long Island landscapes. Bob is the Long Island, NY, and Western Connecticut sales representative.
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Rebecca Orr
Mobile Phone: (530) 391-6033
Rebecca Orr has spent a successful 12 years in the horticulture industry and brings a deep understanding of plant varieties, cultivation techniques, and market trends. She has a passion for plants and a commitment to cultivating success, she thoroughly enjoys collaborating. Rebecca’s goal is not only to meet but exceed expectations by fostering lasting relationships and driving revenue growth.
In her free time, you can find Rebecca camping, cooking, spoiling her pets, growing a diverse garden, and searching for wildflowers.
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Jen Miner
Western Regional Sales Manager & Vendor Program Manager
Mobile Phone: (916) 591-4616
Office Phone: (331) 472-3335
Fax Number: (855) 864-5790
Since 2022, Jen Miner has been working with McHutchison and Vaughan’s as the Vendor Program Manager. To best utilize her expertise in vendor management and sales, Jen’s role at McHutchison and Vaughan’s was expanded, to Western Regional Sales Manager in addition to her continuing role as the vendor program manager.
Jen has been a part of the horticulture industry for over 37 years, and still wakes up every day excited to meet with her peers, customers, and other industry professionals. Jen comes to McHutchison and Vaughan’s with an intricate understanding of our industry and a proven ability to cultivate effective, long-lasting business relationships. She has a passion for this industry, and she is excited to be part of our team, where she aims to be an impactful mentor and sales manager.
When Jen has free time, you will find her enjoying life outdoors, enjoying hiking, skiing, fishing, and gardening.
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Quinn Kender
Mobile Phone: 267-885-8382
Quinn Kender covers the Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nebraska territories. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Horticulture and has spent the last 10 years in the horticulture industry in positions including sales program management and head grower.
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Ryan Noack
Mobile Phone: (952) 693-8233
Education:
BS Agricultural Business, Iowa State University
MS Agricultural Education, Montana State University
Work Experience:
Foundation Seed Production Farmhand and Research Intern at USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center
Native Seed Nursery Manager, Greenhouse Horticulture Production Manager at Special K Ranch
Montana State University County Extension Agent with Agriculture, Horticulture, Natural Resources, and 4-H responsibilities
Current Role:
Montana, Idaho, South and North Dakota Sales Representative (in training)
Favorite Plant & Why?:
This is a really hard question! Pasqueflower because they are one of the first showy flowers of the year, a symbol of springtime, plus they are soft and fuzzy.
Hobbies:
Hiking, Camping, Skiing, Fly Fishing, Gardening, Cooking
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Diana Shull
Mobile Phone: (727) 295-6351
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Brent Mossman
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Michelle Roman
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Bob Steinlage
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Luke Dibiase