Big Grower March 2020 - 5

COVER STORY
quality control. Interns also attend Cultivate
in Columbus, Ohio, to network and learn from
other professionals.
They also participate in community service
projects and other field trips. It's an experience
interns say they find invaluable to help identify
their career goals. Oestmann says managers and
staff likewise learn from the interns.
ALL STAR ROOTS
" We appreciate being involved in an industry
where so much sharing happens, and where
businesses are willing to work together, "
Oestmann says, citing several occasions where
Loma Vista Nursery has opened its doors to
nurseries needing ideas or best practice advice,
and vice versa.
" I grew up at the nursery, " Oestmann says,
" and through the years I have worked almost
every job that we have here. I had a lot of
experience working in the company as a kid
and I also saw both my parents work the
business. I saw what that entailed and the
commitment that it took. "
Oestmann's father, Mark Clear, was a twotime
All-Star major league baseball relief
pitcher for three different teams. He " grew
up working on an avocado ranch owned by
a friend's parents, " Oestmann says. " They
started Loma Vista Nursery together in 1979 in
Southern California. "
As the family moved around the country
with his baseball career, Loma Vista Nursery
continued as a thriving independent garden
In late 2018, Loma Vista Nursery received Systems Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC),
administered by the National Plant Board. The SANC certification is designed to reduce pest risks
associated with the movement of nursery stock.
center in Yorba Linda, California. In 1991, Clear
sold his interest, brought one of the original
nursery vehicles with him across the country
and moved his family to Olathe, Kansas, and
founded his new company.
" My brother and I would ride the bus home
to the nursery every day as my parents were
working tirelessly to start the company, "
Oestmann says. " It was very different for me
because we had become used to moving around
a lot with my dad's job. Now we were in a spot
where we were going to stay. I planted one of
the company's first crops of trees. I worked in
our accounting office through high school. But
my favorite thing was when I worked in field
operations - pruning and taking suckers off trees
all day. I really liked that. "
CONSUMER CONNECTION
In 2020, the Loma Vista Nursery team is looking
forward to the promise of a rewarding growing
year. Already, top sellers for spring 2020 are
hydrangea, small arborvitae evergreens, grasses
and boxwood.
Consumer education and an eye on trends
remains critical as the company targets its plants
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Big Grower March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Grower March 2020