May 2021 - 16

Heather Bach
VICE PRESIDENT
KOBA CORP.
MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
Accomplishments:
* Responsible for overseeing company's production,
material securement, AND direct sales along with
international sales team and complete financial
management.
* Always willing to roll up her sleeves and get her
hands dirty, she is enthusiastic and passionate
for the industry, the company, its employees
and customers while
maintaining
the right
balance of
work and
family.
Off the Clock:
When she's not
working, Heather
enjoys spending
time outdoors or
traveling with her
husband and four
children.
Company's Family
Tree:
Heather's father-inlaw
and the founder
of Koba Corp., Franz
Bach, Sr., came to
America in 1957 with
only $5 in his pocket and was able to launch the
55-year-old company in less than a decade.
Kait Barry
RETAIL BUSINESS MANAGER
GRIFFIN GREENHOUSE SUPPLY
TEWKSBURY, MASSACHUSETTS
Accomplishments:
* Helped company increase retail department
sales 60% in five years by building strong vendor
relationships, creating sales programs and keeping
up with market trends to stay relevant.
* Continually making an impact by participating on
multiple company committees such as ecommerce,
technology advancements, company culture and
succession planning.
In Her Spare Time:
Kait loves to travel, try different foods and meet new
people. " I also love to create scrapbooks for the
different places I have traveled to and for special
moments in my life. "
On Her Bucket List:
Running in the Boston Marathon. She recently
completed her first half-marathon and has set her
sights on the world's oldest annual marathon (all 26
miles and 385 yards of it).
Victoria Bolden
PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR
NORTH CREEK NURSERIES
LANDENBERG, PENNSYLVANIA
Accomplishments:
* Learned how to use multiple software programs to
keep company's production plan running smoothly to
produce thousands of perennial liners every week.
* Responsible for managing company's cutting and
stock crews and purchases for stock, cuttings,
grasses and bare root materials. Also manages the
harvest and planting of 3.3 mm cuttings
from company's
own stock.
When It Comes to
Money Matters:
Victoria
successfully
completed the
Ramsey Financial
Coach Master
Training program
" which allows me
to confidently
coach people
on personal
finances and
financial
freedom. "
She's Also a
Wordsmith:
When she's
not in the
greenhouse, Victoria enjoys writing
fiction. In 2020, she published her first novel,
" Aqua 1 - Over the Brine. "
Elizabeth Carr
PRICING MANAGER
SYNGENTA FLOWERS
GILROY, CALIFORNIA
Accomplishments:
* Helped transform company's customer service
team into a cohesive, collaborative and efficient
unit by standardizing processes and promoting
more training to elevate their performances while
delivering exceptional customer service.
Nathan Carney
SENIOR EQUIPMENT SUPPORT
SPECIALIST/KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER
PROFILE PRODUCTS
BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS
Accomplishments:
* Member of the company's team that researched and
commercially launched a new growing substrate
(HydraFiber) and related processing equipment for
the horticulture market.
* Manages relationships with company's equipment
partners, which includes supporting over 100 pieces
of substrate processing equipment in 28 states, and
seven countries on five continents.
A Motivated Reader:
Nathan's go-to book is " Can't Hurt Me " by David
Goggins. " It motivates me to get tasks done. At the end
of the day you need to hold yourself accountable at the
highest regard. "
Gotta Go Outside:
All of his hobbies revolve around the outdoors. He is
an avid golfer and trail runner. He also enjoys scuba
diving, kayaking, paddle boarding and hiking.
16 MAY 2021 GPNMAG.COM
* Enhanced internal pricing processes and
operations, which increased customer satisfaction
while also saving company time in multiple
departments.
Motherly Instincts:
As a single mother, Elizabeth has " found
deep motivation to
improve myself
personally and
professionally
to provide the
best possible
life for my little
one. " She uses
her experience to
help other moms
as leader of her
church's first ever
single-moms group.
She's a
Spudwoman:
Elizabeth's favorite
food is potatoes.
" Yes, I know that is
weird, but they are so
versatile! "
Mickey Clickner
BEDDING PLANT MANAGER
TALLAHASSEE NURSERIES
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA
Accomplishments:
* Coordinates the donation of vegetables and
flowers to local schools and churches. Hosts
and co-organizes nursery's Little Gardener Grow
Club, where kids aged 4-12 participate in fun and
educational gardening activities.
* Responsible for stocking over 120 varieties of
vegetables, 30-50 varieties of annuals and 3050
varieties of perennials from 20+ wholesale
nurseries across the Southeast.
A Place with Roots:
Mickey recently purchased his first home and
no longer needs " to dig up plants and move an
embarrassing amount of containers " every few
years like he did when he was renting.
Can't Live Without:
His music playlist on his phone. " It's the
soundtrack to a good day, bad day, road trip
or the ride home from work. "
40 UNDER 40
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2021
