July 2023 - 8

HEADLINES/CALENDAR
Lawn & Garden Retailer Names
New Publisher
Julie McCallum, co-owner
of Great American Media
Services, has been appointed
retail group publisher, taking
the helm of Lawn & Garden
Retailer, Gift Shop®
Plus and
Stationery Trends.
McCallum has been
covering the specialty retail
industry for more than 20
years. She was the editorial
director of sister publications
Gift Shop Plus and Stationery
Trends prior to taking on this
publisher role.
" Serving the retail
industry has been so important to me as the editorial
director of Gift Shop Plus and Stationery Trends, " McCallum
said. " I am looking forward to the opportunity as publisher
to connect with our Lawn & Garden Retailer partners. It's all
about how we can help make their businesses better. "
As a graduate of Michigan State University's School of
Journalism, she is passionate about reporting and telling the
stories of the creative minds that make up the gift, garden
and stationery industries. She aims to make a difference in
the lives of her readers by sharing content that will inspire,
inform and help them succeed in their businesses.
McCallum looks forward to working with Abby McGarry,
editorial director; Teresa McPherson, managing editor;
Diane Hart and Kim Sammartino, integrated media
consultants; and the rest of the Lawn & Garden Retailer
team to continue serving the industry and you, our readers.
Industry Mourns Loss of Kurt Dramm
Kurt W. Dramm, a born
salesman and friend to all
in the horticulture industry,
died on May 16 at the age of
85. Kurt was born and raised
in Manitowoc, Wisconsin,
and graduated from the
University of Wisconsin with
a double major in business
and horticulture.
After college, he worked
for the Vaughan Seed Co.
with a sales territory covering
the Southeastern U.S.
In 1968, he and his brother John Peter formed the
Dramm Co. to produce garden and greenhouse watering
products. Their mother, Perdita, had maintained the
business out of her basement while working as a
librarian. John Peter died unexpectedly in 1978.
8 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | JULY 2023
Kurt was known for saying " Nothing happens until
someone sells something. " His entrepreneurial spirit and
passion for providing quality products grew the Dramm Co.
During Kurt's 45 years of ownership, The Dramm Corp.
grew to a thriving four-segment business: commercial
greenhouse equipment, retail gardening products,
Drammatic organic fertilizer, and DRAMMwater for
greenhouse water treatment systems.
Under Kurt's leadership, the Dramm family-owned
business has entered its third generation. Kurt leaves
behind a legacy his father started, providing quality
products and solutions to customers.
AmericanHort Welcomes New
Board Members, Officers
AmericanHort has announced the addition of three
new industry leaders to the AmericanHort board of
directors, along with the incoming slate of officers.
" We are pleased to have these respected industry
members join the AmericanHort board to share their
expertise and perspective as we continue to deliver on
our mission, " said Ken Fisher, president and CEO of
AmericanHort. " The board plays an important role in
shaping the future of the organization and we thank
those who volunteer to serve the industry in this way for
their dedication to the advancement of horticulture. "
The new slate of officers for 2023-2024 includes
Rob Lando as the incoming board chairman and Ed
Overdevest as the incoming board vice chairman. Jon
Reelhorn of Belmont Nursery will become the immediate
past chairman, and J. Harvey Cotten will continue to
serve as board treasurer in a non-voting position.
The AmericanHort membership has elected the
following new board directors:
* Derek Clark, director of sales for South Central Growers
* Brian Lloyd, CEO of Olson's Greenhouse
* Emily Showalter, chief of human resources at
Willoway Nurseries.
These new directors will join current board directors
Kurt Becker, Dramm Corp.; Matt Edmundson, Arbor
Valley Nursery; Kent Fullmer, Fullmer's Landscaping;
Steve Mostardi, Mostardi Nursery; Lyndsi Oestmann,
Loma Vista Nursery; and Ann Tosovsky, Home Nursery.
AmericanHort and its members express appreciation to
outgoing board members, Mike Gooder, Plantpeddler, and
Jonathan Saperstein, Everde Growers, who each served a
three-year term from 2020-2023; and Cole Mangum, Bell
Nursery USA LLC, who served on the board from 2017-2023
and was board chairman during his tenure.
Plant Development Services'
Agapanthus Named Plant of the Year
Plant Development Services' agapanthus 'Black Jack,'
a Plantipp variety and an upcoming release from the
July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2023
