ROUGEMONT, USA: To help their customers build and maintain successful grass programmes, Hoffman Nursery has expanded its management team. Michael Betterly, an experienced horticultural and consumer products executive, joins the nursery as Head of Sales and Marketing. David Hoffman (pictured), who has had a range of responsibilities at the nursery, moves up to Senior Director of Sales and Operations.
The market for grasses and sedges continues to grow, and customers rely on the nursery for expertise and support to meet the demand. Rounding out the management team will give the nursery more resources for customers and continual improvement in operations.
Michael (Mike) Betterly brings experience in sales, branding, finance, and corporate strategy. He earned a B.S. in Marketing & International Business from Penn State University and an MBA from SDA Bocconi, an internationally ranked program in Milan, Italy. He spent eight years as Vice President of Marketing and Sales with The Organic Mechanics Soil Co. in the Philadelphia area. While there, he developed multiple successful marketing programs, managed a team of independent sales representatives, improved the product line, and increased customer satisfaction. After spending time on the West Coast honing his business development skills, he moved back East to be closer to family. He joined Hoffman Nursery on Dec. 30, 2019.
Betterly enjoys solving business challenges and exceeding expectations, and he is enthusiastic about finding new ways to serve the nursery’s customers. In overseeing the Sales and Marketing teams, he will concentrate on strategic planning and program development. His addition will give the nursery’s customers more dedicated sales and marketing expertise to help grow their businesses. “I love learning something new every day, so I’m eager to see how our plants solve problems in the landscape. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead a top-notch Sales & Marketing team that focuses on helping our customers succeed.” Jessica Hall, the nursery’s Customer Experience Coordinator, and Sales & Customer Service Assistants Sara Bell, Stephen Gillis, and Mandy Cuskelly will provide exemplary customer service, expert advice, and timely communication. Betterly’s marketing expertise complements the nursery’s marketing team, which includes Marketing Director Shannon Currey, and Marketing Assistant Alex Stanley-Stretch.
Taking a broader role at the nursery is a natural for David Hoffman. He grew up with Hoffman Nursery and the horticultural industry. He worked part time at the nursery through high school and earned a degree in Horticultural Science from North Carolina State University. Afterward, he spent two years working at perennial plant nurseries in Europe. He returned to Hoffman Nursery in 2015, serving as Project Manager and Chief Customer Experience Officer. At the start of 2020, Hoffman moved into the role of Senior Director of Sales and Operations. He loves working with people, is a natural problem-solver, and has developed a broad range of nursery expertise. He will cover day-to-day decisions and facilitate communications among all sectors of the nursery. His leadership will allow owners Jill and John Hoffman more time to focus on strategy and the broader vision of the nursery they started in 1986. As David Hoffman says, “I’m excited about our future as we move into this next phase of growth at Hoffman Nursery.”
Founded in Rougemont, North Carolina in 1986, Hoffman Nursery specializes in ornamental and native grass liners for the wholesale trade. With a core purpose of promoting better living through plants, they grow over 140 species and cultivars of grasses, sedges, and grasslike plants, and ship to wholesale customers across North America. Since its founding, the nursery has expanded to include a state-of-the-art greenhouse and production facility and over 60 cold frames and hot houses.
