Educational Programs @ Cultivate'22

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    George Grant,

    GGSPro Technical Specialist Griffin Greenhouse Supplies 

    George has degrees in Horticulture from the University of Georgia and the University of Florida. He is a GGSPro Technical Specialist with Griffin Greenhouse Supplies and team member of Griffin +. GGSPro assists ornamental, edible, and hemp/cannabis growers across the country with their cultivation issues ranging from sanitation, IPM, fertility, lighting, and water quality. GGSPro fields over 18,000 grower related calls and emails annually. This amount of valuable interaction helps Griffin collaborate with chemical vendors, academic researchers, and plant producers to implement change within the green industry. George is also fortunate enough to be a recent recipient of GPN’s 2021 40 Under 40 Award.

    GGSPro Mission Statement

    “To provide prompt, practical and accurate technical support in understandable terms to growers to enhance crop quality and profitability.”

    There are many benefits associated with being a customer of Griffin Greenhouse Supplies, Inc. There probably isn't a week that goes by that your business does not benefit from our extensive inventory, competent and friendly customer service, knowledgeable outside sales consultants and professional delivery drivers. Griffin's industry leading technical support is something you may not think about, unless you have taken the time to utilize it. In fact Griffin has experts that specialize in many areas like Irrigation, Nursery, Construction and Pest Control. Being a business partner with Griffin Greenhouse Supplies is much more than the products that we sell. The experts behind the products that are there to help you are all part of the value you receive when you choose Griffin as your supplier. The GGSPro team is one example of a resource provided to you by Griffin that no other distributor offers.

    The GGSPro Technical Support Team fields over 16,000 technical calls and e-mails a year from growers nationwide. Being connected to that many growers gives our technical team unique insight into the challenges facing our industry. As growers supply feedback on the recommendations made by the team, Griffin becomes the hub for the best grower tested remedies in our industry. Whether the issue is insect and disease diagnostics and control, plant growth regulators, crop nutrition, BCA programs, hydroponics or one of a myriad of related topics help is available to Griffin customers free of charge. No other distributor can come close to matching these services.

    Many growers have provided testimonials to the value of the technical support they have received through Griffin. Whether it was crops saved or increased crop quality and profitability the letters testify to value associated with the support they received from the GGSPro Technical Support Team. In a competitive market place it seems there is always somebody anxious to sell you products just a little bit cheaper without any application support. Ineffective pesticide applications are costly, no matter how much you paid for the product. Loyal customers recall the benefits that come with doing business with Griffin, which ultimately brings savings to their bottom line. Partnering with Griffin is the best way to get the full value out of the products you purchase. We thank all of our customers for their ongoing support and hope that each Griffin customer will partner with us and utilize our GGSPro team along with all the other services we provide.

     

    Rick Yates
    Technical Support Manager

    Rick provides technical support for Griffin growers nationwide. He is best known for his thorough command of crop culture, particularly disease and insect control, plant growth regulation, and crop nutrition. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from the University of Maryland and operated Cornerstone Greenhouses in Myersville, Maryland from 1986-91. Rick writes regularly for the Griffin Gazette and has authored many articles in greenhouse trade magazines. He is a regular speaker on Griffin's educational programs and speaks at grower conferences across North America. His industry service includes collaboration with extension specialists across the country, a contribution for which he is highly respected.

    Virginia Brubaker
    Technical Support Specialist Supervisor

    Virginia is committed to providing quality technical support for growers throughout Griffin's territory. She is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture. Her professional experience spans federal pest control, crop production, production management, and vendor relations, along with technical support. With over 35 years of experience in the industry, Virginia brings a valued and broad perspective to the growers she serves as part of the GGSPro team and remains committed to providing hands-on, quality technical support to Griffin customers. In addition to providing superior technical support to growers, Virginia coordinates pesticide credits for Griffin events and writes for the Griffin Gazette, Griffin Insider, and assorted industry trade journals. She can be seen speaking at grower seminars and regional events. Virginia also serves the industry as a Penn State advisory committee member and as the education director for the Landisville Field Trials.

    Joanne Lutz
    Technical Support Specialist

    After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College, she launched a career that has been rich with scouting and plant diagnostics. Joanne's career experience includes positions at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, US National Arboretum and the University of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Clinic. She also owned an IPM scouting and consulting business for 8 years, worked as a greenhouse grower, customer care technical support and sales throughout the greenhouse, nursery and landscape industry. Joanne cooperated with the University of Maryland on trials using BCA's and pesticide efficacy. She has contributed articles and pictures for the TPM/IPM weekly e-pest reports. Joanne provides Griffin’s growers with technical advice as well as managing Griffin's plant disease diagnostic and water testing programs in which she provides recommendations. She speaks at grower events and writes for assorted trade magazines.

    Karen Stever
    Technical Support Specialist

    Karen earned her Ph. D. in Chemistry from Texas A&M Univ. She conducted research on various biochemical pathways at Scripps Research Institute, UCSF, and in the biotech industry. In 1996, Karen switched her career path from biochemistry to horticulture and joined Saul Nurseries, in Atlanta, GA. Soon after the science and horticulture came together when ItSaul Plants, llc. was launched. ItSaul Plants specialized in tissue culture of rare plants and new plant introductions. She served as Board Member of the Georgia Flower Growers Association (now part of GGIA) and is a member of several Industry related associations. Karen comes to the GGSPro Team with 20 years of growing experience encompassing all aspects of greenhouse production, from propagation to finish. She brings her hands-on experience in growing a wide pallet of plants to our Griffin customers. Her experience encompasses annuals, perennials, tropicals, succulents, and woody plants. During the course of her career, Karen has enjoyed being a part of the movement to use softer pesticides, more targeted chemicals, and designed rotations to delay chemical resistance. She is proud to have joined our team tin supporting and promoting the thoughtful and effective use of chemicals, Bee-friendly controls, and the effective use of beneficial insects when possible.

    George Grant
    Technical Support Specialist

    George comes to Griffin after completing a Bachelor degree in Horticulture from the University of Georgia and a Master’s degree with honors, in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida under the leadership of Dr. Paul Fisher. George brings a wealth of knowledge with him including specialties in plant growth regulators, water treatment, controlled environment agriculture and more. He has been published in scientific journals and is known for his outstanding work as the production manager for the National Poinsettia Variety Trials.


               

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