Gordon Rowe
Hoffman Nursery in Rougemont, NC, recently appointed Gordon D. Rowe III as its new Director of Sales and Business Development. With a distinguished career spanning more than two decades in the horticulture and nursery industry, Rowe brings a wealth of expertise in sales strategy, customer success, and operational efficiency.
Rowe joins Hoffman Nursery from IUNU, where he served as Director of Special Operations. In this role, he was instrumental in driving the adoption and implementation of strategies for AI-driven solutions in the horticulture industry, supporting growers across North America. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at North Creek Nurseries in Landenberg, PA, where he led sales initiatives, strategic planning, and business development efforts that significantly enhanced operational performance and revenue growth.
With a deep passion for sustainability and conservation, Rowe has been actively involved in local environmental stewardship projects, focusing on invasive species management and riparian buffer restoration. His dedication to integrating data-driven decision-making with horticultural best practices makes him a valuable asset to Hoffman Nursery’s mission of delivering high-quality plants while promoting ecological responsibility, according to the company.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gordon to our leadership team,” says Craig Reynolds, COO of Hoffman Nursery. “His extensive industry experience, combined with his passion for innovation and sustainability, will be instrumental in driving our sales and marketing efforts to new heights.”
In his new role, Rowe will oversee all sales and business development initiatives, strengthening relationships with existing customers while expanding Hoffman Nursery’s market presence. His expertise in leveraging data analytics and process improvement will play a key role in enhancing customer engagement and streamlining sales operations.
Greenhouse Grower reached out to Rowe to learn more about his past experience, his new role, and more. Keep reading to get to know him a little better!
How did your previous experience prepare you for this new role?
Rowe: I have learned so much over the years from so many amazing people. That knowledge and those relationships coupled with my drive for data-driven leaning of processes, and my time with software companies in CS/Implementation roles, has made me ready for this position.
What are some of the biggest issues or concerns you’ve heard from the growers you work with, and how do you plan to help them deal with these issues?
Rowe: Almost the same standard list of concerns we’ve all heard and expressed year after year: Increasing costs, labor challenges, contracting margins, and the need to have a spring with perfect weather each weekend.
What are the biggest challenges this industry is currently facing? Conversely, what are some of the biggest opportunities on the horizon?
Rowe: Aside from what I stated before, I think succession planning is a looming monster that gets ignored in a lot of cases. Opportunity-wise, the world will always need more plants to repair the damage we’ve done and to brighten up our living spaces.
Looking ahead, what role can you play in moving this industry forward?
Rowe: No matter where I am working and what I am doing, I will always be pushing for the adoption and implantation of technology that makes our mundane easier or adds value to it … just to make things better. I was an early adopter and industry thought leader with the data revolution, and in turn advocating for the use of AI a decade ago, and will be singing the praises of whatever we as a collective have looming in the pipeline.
If you weren’t in this profession, what would you be doing?
Rowe: I’d have a boutique pizza shop making 50 pies a day Thursday-Sunday, cash only, come in, order and wait.
- Cheese $20
- Pepperoni, Pepperoni Mushrooms $25
- Special of the week $40
- Could be Roasted Corn, Jalapeno and Corn, could be a Reuben, or beef bourguignon.
