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(click a name or photo below to send an email)
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Chuck Newman
Chuck started Planters' Choice in 1970 as a retail/wholesale nursery. He propagated and grew nursery crops in those early years and it is still the area of the business he enjoys the most. He is blessed with a wonderful crew that has continued to enable him to enjoy Planters' Choice. His wife Rosalie continues to be a sounding board and tries to keep him on a straight and narrow path.
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Darryl Newman
Darryl is a University of Maryland graduate with a degree in Landscape Management; he stayed in the Washington, DC Metro area after school for four years, working for two prominent Landscape Design/Build Firms as a project manager. He returned to Planters’ Choice in 2004. Darryl is a director for the Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association, and can often be seen out and about around Norwalk where he resides.
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Dave Goodwin
Dave has over 25 years industry experience, and a degree in Business Management from Albertus Magnus College. He served on the Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association’s Board of Directors from 1997 through 2002, including a year term as president, and received the Award of Merit, the highest honor CNLA offers. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Nurserymen’s Foundation, a tax exempt business that provides scholarships for students pursuing careers in Horticulture. In his free time, Dave is active in his local Boy Scouts chapter.
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Barbara O'Connor
Barbara is a 37 year veteran in the nursery business. She was Chuck's right hand person in charge of buying, overseeing day to day activities, and arranging shipping and receiving in busy seasons. Semi-retired now, she nonetheless is a valued member of our management team. She is active in the Town & Country Garden Club and is on the Newtown Zoning Board of Appeals.
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Roger Fitzpatrick
Roger grew up on a dairy farm. He worked in the construction field before starting his own landscape maintenance company. He joined the Planters’ Choice team five years ago. Roger started working at the tree farms, then was moved to the Newtown sales yard, and is currently manager of the Watertown sales yard. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his kids and working in his garden.
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Peter Lofink
Peter graduated from SUNY Cobleskill and came right to work at Planters’ Choice in the spring of 1981. He is in charge of the woody ornamental production in containers; keeping his crews working, and the Newtown and Meadowbrook facilities running and plants growing. What he loves best after his wife and kids is his running.
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Duane Root
Duane is a person few customers see. He has worked for Planters' Choice since 1992 and was previously field manager at White Flower Farm for 10 years. He is in charge of our B & B production in Watertown and Woodbury. An avid deer hunter, he manages to keep the deer damage in our fields to a minimum.
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Geordie Elkins
Geordie graduated from Temple University in 1996 with a BS in Horticulture. Prior to coming to Planters Choice he spent two years managing the W. Atlee Burpee trial garden in Ambler, PA. He moved to Connecticut and worked as a Horticulturist at Highstead Arboretum in Redding, CT. Geordie came to Planters Choice in 2001 and manages the propagation and also assists in container production. He is married with four children, and when not at home or at work serves as deacon and treasurer at the Church of Bethel.
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Steve Kinkade
A self described “proud plant geek”, Steve left a job at Yale as a plumber to be the founder of Shepaug Flower Farm, a specialty cut flower and perennial nursery and labor of love. He came to work at Planters Choice in 2005, and is now in charge of our perennial production in Watertown. Steve has been the subject of feature articles in such national publications as Horticulture and Garden Design for his knowledge of growing and caring for cut flowers. Aside from horticulture, he enjoys keeping various pets, nature study and white water boating.
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Doug Kissack
Doug has an Associates Degree in Environmental Design from SUNY Cobleskill in 1984 and a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture in 1988 from Syracuse University. He has over 25 years industry experience in landscape maintenance, installation and design, as well as nursery sales and purchasing. He enjoys various outdoor activities and a few libations at social gatherings.
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Liz Bette
Liz is a graduate from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in Urban Horticulture and Turf Grass Management. She has over 19 years experience in the nursery industry, and has worked in customer service for Planters Choice’ in Watertown since 2004. Outside of Planters’ Choice, she stays close to her job, being an avid gardener with an appreciation of nature.
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