Mid-South Territory Manager - Scotts Company Professional Division (acquired by ICL Specialty Fertilizer NA in 2010) - 2004 to Present
ICL Specialty Fertilizers - Dallas/Ft. Worth Area

ICL Specialty Fertilizer NA is a world leader in fertilizers and specialty chemicals with a footprint of 40+ sales offices globally.

As Mid-South Territory Manager, I have managed sales for control release fertilizer, water soluble fertilizer, and plant protection products for horticulture, including specialized agriculture – this includes managing 9 distributors in a 5-State territory. I’m accountable for existing customers’ sales and opening new markets such as cotton, strawberries, and vegetables.

Sales Performance

• Considered the lead person for the company’s largest national customer headquartered in territory
  
• Initiated program to increase cotton yield (Caliche Hillsides - South Plains) with 800,000-acre market potential
  
• Increased sales by 40% over 5 years prior to territory split
  
• Increased sales of new herbicide by creating and distributing the “Weed Prevention Manual”
  

  
  

Sales Management

• Developed sales roadmaps
  
• Forecasted sales & inventory
  
• Created marketing & technical communications
  
• Trade Show Representation
  
• Expert on water quality
  
• Collaborated with new product development team
  
• Developed technical manuals for CEU credit in 4 states
  
• Consulted with customers on worker safety & regulatory compliance
  
• Serve as “Go to” lead for customers on product issues
  

Specialties

• Horticulture & Agricultural Sales & Marketing Plans
  
• Budget & Forecasting
  
• P & L
  
• Credit Evaluation
  
• 3rd Party Agricultural Product Warehousing
  
• Large Greenhouse Production Management
  
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM
  
• Strategic Management Style
  
• Relationship Builder
  
• Team Leader/Mentor
  
• Customer-Focused
  
• Crop Nutrients
  
• Control Release & Water Soluble Fertilizer
  
• Plant Protection Products
  
• Specialized Agriculture
  

JJL Greenhouses is a wholesale grower of premium annual and perennials serving the greater Houston and Austin retail and landscape trade.

As Production Manager, I managed production for 400,000-square-foot greenhouse operation with a staff of 60 and all aspects of management including production budgets, sales forecast, availability and all federal, state and local regulation compliance.

This position involved the successful procurement of all production items including hard goods and green goods while maintaining a production budget that meant the owners' profitability goals. I had to proactively secure plant material and adjust production to an ever changing market and climatic environment.

I introduced new cultivars and added them to the product mix to bring about new sales opportunities.

A major was modifying the water treatment of irrigation water to significantly reducing crop scrappage and enhancing the quality of products on crops that historically fell short of the sales quality stand and standards of the marketplace.

Accomplishments

• Increased crop turns 30% by increasing summer annuals during a historically slow season
  
• Solved a water issue plaguing operations resulting in improved plant health on otherwise unsellable plants
  
•  Implemented a new safety training program to meet federal & state laws
  

Specialties

• Horticulture & Agricultural Sales & Marketing Plans
  
• Budget & Forecasting
  
• Profit & Loss (P & L)
  
• Credit Evaluation
  
• 3rd Party Agricultural Product Warehousing
  
• Large Greenhouse Production & Management
  
• Agriculture & Horticulture Industry Relationships
  
• Customer Relationships
  
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM
  
• Strategic Management Style
  
• Relationship Builder
  
• Team Leader / Mentor
  
• Customer-Focused / Customer Centric
  
• Crop Nutrients Specialist
  
• Control Release & Water Soluble Fertilizer Experienced
  
• Labor relations
  
•  New Plant Protection & Weed Prevention Techniques
  
• Specialized Agriculture
  

TASCON Industries is a producer of Eco-friendly products from recycled paper which provides sustainable alternatives to the housing industry in both construction and landscape.

As Horticulture Product Manager for TASCON, Inc. I was responsible for managing all aspects of horticulture division, including marketing and sales. Since the conception of the new landscape horticultural product, I acquired customers, created a distribution network and oversaw and created packaging, advertising, and distribution of these new horticultural products.

I had the opportunity to take new products that had virtually a zero-customer base to a large regional 18-store independent garden center chain, two nationally recognized box store home improvement chains, and the country’s largest grocery store chain.

I managed the entire marketing & advertising campaign for the horticulture line including trade shows, radio & television concepts, and implementation. I also developed and sought out new products and oversaw research on a regional and national level which included university and state and federal research on these products

• Took new product (landscape mulch from recycled paper) to market and grew sales to $100,000 in 2 years
  
• Acquired major customers for the horticulture line including 3 mass merchants
  

Specialties

• Horticulture and Agricultural Sales & Marketing Plans
  
• Budget & Forecasting
  
• P & L
  
• Credit Evaluation
  
• 3rd Party Agricultural Product Warehousing
  
• Large Greenhouse Production & Management
  
• Agriculture & Horticulture Industry Relationships
  
• Customer Relationships
  
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM
  
• Strategic Management Style
  
• Relationship Builder
  
• Team Leader / Mentor
  
• Customer-Focused / Customer-Centric
  
• Crop Nutrients Specialist
  
• Control Release & Water Soluble Fertilizer
  
• Plant Protection & Weed Prevention Products & Techniques
  
• Specialized Agriculture and Horticulture methods
  

Sales Representative - 1996 to 1997
Windmill Nursery - Folsom, LA

Windmill Nursery is a quality grower of premium woody and perennial growers serving the southern regions of the United States with several hundred acres of production.

As Sales Representative for Windmill Nurseries, I was responsible for selling plant material in Texas and New Mexico. Major duties involved is increasing and maintaining a customer base. This involved detailed focus on plant quality procurement and distribution follow up so the customers’ needs were always met.

Being recognized as an expert, and by participating in numerous product knowledge workshops, I significantly increased the market share of this nursery into an area where they had very little exposure and brought in several major new accounts including servicing several major national box-store home improvement centers.

In addition to providing valuable insight into plant selection, I managed all the marketing of sales in the region including store advertising, POP displays and product knowledge for end use homeowner and landscape customers on the plant products we sold.

Accomplishments

• Increased sales by approx. 40% and leads from 200 to 500
  
• Took territory to a zero bad-debt level by detail management of receivables
  
• Added key plant protection to production team to increase plant quality
  

Specialties

• Horticulture and Agricultural Sales & Marketing Plans
  
• Budget & Forecasting
  
• Profit & Loss (P & L)
  
• Credit Evaluation
  
• Product Knowledge Workshops
  
• Receivable Procurement
  
• 3rd Party Agricultural Product Warehousing
  
• Large Greenhouse Production & Management
  
• Agriculture & Horticulture Industry Relationships
  
• Customer Relationships
  
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM
  
• Strategic Management Style
  
• Relationship Builder
  
• Team Leader / Team Mentor
  
• Customer-Focused / Customer-Centric
  
• Crop Nutrients Specialist
  
• Control Release & Water Soluble Fertilizer
  
• Plant Protection & Weed Prevention Products & Techniques
  
• Specialized Agriculture
  

Technical Services Manager - 1990 to 1996
Hines Nurseries -Temecula, CA

Color Spot, Inc., located just outside of Houston, Texas, acquired Hines Nursaries, Inc. in 2012, and is a 400-acre wholesale grower of quality landscape shrubs, perennials and annual bedding plants serving the box store chain, independent and landscape trade in the mid-south are of the United States.

As Technical Services Manager For Hines Nurseries, I managed technical service department and environment issues for this 400-acre nursery. I designed and built the first recycled system for container nursery in Texas and managed a pest control department of 18 staff, responsible for a zero tolerance of insect disease and weeds for the nursery with over 1800 plant cultivars. I was the point-person for all state and federal state compliance for worker protection, interstate shipments, and environmental laws.

Accomplishments

• Designed and managed the first water recycling system in the state of Texas for container nursery production
  
• Created and implemented process control manuals on several key pests resulting a significant reduction of plant loss on key crops
  
• Implemented a Worker Protection training program for employees to significantly reduced worker related injuries
  
• As a part of the overall sustainability model for the Technical Services department was awarded and Industry Environmental Excellence Award for exceptional environmental stewardship
  
• Department Sustainability model contributed to company’s being awarded Texas Business of the Year Award in 1995
  

Specialties

• Horticulture and Agricultural Sales & Marketing Plans
  
• Budget & Forecasting
  
• P & L
  
• Large Greenhouse Production & Management
  
• Agriculture & Horticulture Industry Relationships
  
• Customer Relationships
  
• Strategic Management Style
  
• Relationship Builder
  
• Team Leader / Mentor
  
• Customer-Focused / Customer-Centric
  
• Crop Nutrients Specialist
  
• Control Release & Water Soluble Fertilizer
  
• Plant Protection & Weed Prevention Products & Techniques
  
• Specialized Agriculture