Top stories from Greenhouse Management’s website

Vaughan’s Horticulture mourns the passing of Matt Willoughby

Vaughan’s Horticulture announced the sudden passing of Matt Willoughby, 45, a sales representative for the Carolinas and Tennessee, and a member of the company’s key account team.

A kind and loyal friend to many, Matt grew up in the horticulture industry. As an Alabama native, he learned at an early age by working in his father’s greenhouses and retail garden center. Matt earned his B.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Mississippi State University. He then worked for leading industry growers like Layman and Hines Horticulture where his responsibilities included sales among other things.

Monrovia appoints Jonathan Pedersen as new CEO

The board of Monrovia Nursery Company has announced the appointment of Jonathan Pedersen as the company’s new chief executive officer. Pedersen succeeds Miles Rosedale, who stepped down at the end of 2020 to focus on his role as co-chairman of the board of directors. He took the new position effective Jan. 1.

Pedersen is a highly experienced and well-regarded leader in the horticultural industry who joined Monrovia as vice president of business development and intellectual property in 2013.

APHIS updates Plants for Planting manual

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently updated its Plants for Planting manual to include a section on the United States – Canada Nursery Certification Program, which is a bilateral export certification program for nursery-grown plants shipped between Canada and the continental United States.