Metrolina Greenhouses wins International Grower of the Year
Canadian grower BTN runner-up for IGOTY, wins gold for sustainability
BY LANDSCAPE TRADES STAFF
Metrolina Greenhouses has been awarded the title of International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) 2022 by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH). The coveted ‘Gold Rose’ award was presented to Metrolina Greenhouses by Royal FloraHolland CEO, Steven van Schilfgaarde, at the AIPH IGOTY Awards 2022 on June 14, 2022 at GreenTech Amsterdam.
The Huntersville, N.C.-based ornamentals grower also won Gold in the Finished Plants and Trees category. Now in its 12th year, the IGOTY Awards recognize best practice in horticulture by the top ornamental production nurseries from around the globe, celebrating the expertise and energy they give to horticulture. Established in 1972 by Tom and Vickie Van Wingerden, Metrolina Greenhouses has grown to employ over 1,500 people. Their two locations in the United States comprise 528 acres of growing space. They grow and deliver live plants to over 1,400 retail outlets on the east coast of the U.S., maintaining a focus on quality, innovation, and sustainability.
Tim Edwards, chair of the awards jury which comprises six internationally renowned horticulture experts, commented: “The judges were enormously impressed by Metrolina Greenhouses, a company that started 50 years ago and has grown to an impressive size while managing the difficult passage from one generation to the next. While still boasting the credentials of a ‘Family Business’, this highly efficient horticultural operation is clearly driven by a need to innovate and improve at every level.”
“The company’s product range and production facilities are pushed forward by ongoing innovation and the business clearly brings that same demand for innovation to the need for ongoing advances in sustainability.”
Canadian grower Brookdale Treeland Nurseries also earned accolades. They received a Gold in the Sustainability category and a Bronze in Finished Plants and Trees.
Horticultural professional Pablo Bazzani won the inaugural Young International Grower of the Year Award at a ceremony held on June 14, 2022 at GreenTech Amsterdam.
Other IGOTY 2022 category winners were:
Young Plants
Gold: Wagagai, Uganda
Silver: Jens Meyer Jungpflanzen, Germany
Finished Plants and Trees
Gold: Metrolina Greenhouses, USA
Silver: Bunnik Group Bv., Netherlands
Bronze: Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Limited, Canada
Cut Flowers & Bulbs
Gold: Matina Flowers S.A.S, Colombia
Silver: Prim’rose (SCA Clementine), Morocco
Bronze: Luxaflor Roses, Zimbabwe
Sustainability
Gold: Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Limited, Canada
Silver: Wagagai Limited, Uganda
Bronze: Sitio Kolibri, Brazil
Young International Grower
Winner: Pablo Bazzani, Plazoleta Flowers, Colombia
Finalist: Matyas Bartha, Silver Vase, USA
Finalist: Chris Rocheleau, ForemostCo USA
