Midwest Groundcovers Staff

847-742-1790


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Staff

		Kim Kaczmarek A member of the sales team since 2004, Kim works with select Garden Center, Landscape Contractor and Landscape Supply customers in Illinois. She is also a member of Midwest’s new product development team. She is a certified ICN Pro in Perennials, and currently serves on the Certification Committee for the Illinois Green Industry Association (IGIA). Kim is an honors graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

		Brent Gustason A member of the sales team since 2003, Brent serves Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota regions. Brent has over 25 years of nursery production, management and retail sales experience to share with his customers. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and currently serves on the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association Board of Directors and the Wisconsin Nursery Association Board of Directors.

		Judy Wehrmeister A member of the Midwest team since 1996, Judy serves the Michigan and Indiana region. Her professional experiences include Inventory Control, Purchasing and Sales. Judy earned her Associate’s degree in Landscape Technology at Oakland Community College in Rochester, Michigan.

		Trish Beckjord Specializing in Sales, Consultation and Market Development for Native Plants and Green Infrastructure Development, Trish is a registered landscape architect holding a Masters of Landscape Architecture from University of Michigan. She is experienced in ecological restoration and native plant design and has a superior knowledge of native plants and ecology. She is adept at integration of cultivated species with natives for sustainable planting solutions, and has worked on projects from major LEED certified sites to residential sustainable gardens. Trish enjoys volunteering with the local Wild Ones chapter, helping promote environmentally-friendly landscape design for home landscapes.

		Nikki Melin A member of the Midwest team since 2008, Nikki works with select landscape and native restoration contractors. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and is a certified ICN Pro in Perennials. She enjoys problem solving with customers and choosing the right plant for the right site. Her favorite plants are natives, which she enjoys blending into the ornamental landscape.

		Michelle Herman, Customer Service Supervisor Michelle Herman has been designing landscapes since 2003 and has a background in landscape construction. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture and graduated from Ball State University. She currently works in customer service at Midwest where she enjoys helping customers choose plants that are proven performers and will thrive in tough conditions. Her favorites are: Baptisia, Amsonia, Hydrangea ‘Limelight’, Panicum ‘Northwind’ and Sambucus ‘Black Lace’.

		Mary Ellen Biell,Customer Service & Administrative Assistant A member of the Midwest team since 2002, Mary Ellen works with customers on direct sales needs, supports development initiatives and provides administrative support to the company Vice President. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from SIU and has a background in sales and quality and project management. Mary Ellen enjoys the variety of her work as well as dealing with customers. Her favorite plants include conifers and ferns.

		Chris Darbo, Customer Service Representative A member of the Midwest team since 2004, Chris has more than twenty years of experience in the green industry. Chris is an active member of the Perennial Plant Association and serves on their Nomenclature Committee. Talking about plants with people who like to talk about plants is what Chris most enjoys about her job. Her favorite plant group is perennials, particularly Hosta species.

		Sarah Fredrickson, Customer Service Representative A member of the Midwest team since 2007, Sarah serves a wide variety of customers, including many specific accounts. She holds a certification in floral design and interior plantscaping and is a member of the AIFD. She says what she likes best about working with customers is offering suggestions, exchanging information and solving problems. Some of her favorite plants include Heuchera, Hosta, Asarum europaeum, Hydrangea Original Endless Summer and Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears ’.

		Sheila Balaun, Customer Service Representative A member of the Midwest team since 2007, Sheila prepares weekly inventory availability, looking good, email marketing as well as website updates. Sheila also works directly with green roof accounts. She holds a degree in horticulture / agriculture from Kansas State University and is an ICN Pro. She enjoys helping customers find answers to their questions as well as the overall enthusiasm and friendliness she encounters in our industry. Her favorite plant family is Crassulaceae and says she finds it exciting growing Sedum species for green roof projects.

		Julie Heiberger, Customer Service Representative Julie Heiberger has vast experience in retail garden centers, maintenance, installation and landscape design. She has an Associate’s degree in Horticulture from College of DuPage, and has been employed at Midwest in Customer Service since 2008 as a seasonal employee. Julie enjoys working and being around plants and nature. Her favorite plants are Hydrangea, Anemone and Helleborus.

		Donna Cummings, Customer Service Representative Donna began her 14 years in the green industry at Midwest Groundcovers, then moved on to The Natural Garden, Inc. where she remained for 11 years as Fleet Manager and Assistant Wholesale Manager. There she developed an extensive knowledge of native plants, participating in many native plant conferences, such as MELA, Illinois Lake Management and Wild Ones. Her favorite plant is Desmanthus illinoensis with its distinct foliage and unusual seed pods.

		Jill Bondi, Marketing Project Manager Jill is a graduate of National-Louis University in Business Management and holds five Associate Degrees in Horticulture: Landscape Management, Greenhouse Management, Nursery Management, Floral Design, and Turf Management. She has been working in the Green Industry for 15 years in several disciplines, including landscape maintenance account management. An ISA Certified Arborist, her favorite plants are unique woodland species, such as Arisaema triphyllum, Podophyllum peltatum and Trillium grandiflorum.

		Janie Grillo, Marketing Assistant Janie has 8 years’ experience in the green industry and 10+ years in Sales. As well as being an avid gardener she is also a butterfly enthusiast. She gives presentations at schools, garden clubs, zoos, and museums. She holds a degree in Biology from SUNY at Fredonia. Because of her passion for butterflies, her favorite plants are those that nourish the butterfly, especially the Buddleia.

		Yard Office Catalino Mendoza – Quality Operations Manager Espiridion Cantor –Sales Yard Customer Service Gina De Nicolo - Sales Yard Supervisor Kevin McGowen –Sales Yard Customer Service

		Distribution Leadership Team Mike, Nikki, Tracy

		Driver Team

		Yard Team

		Yard Shoppe Customer Service Team Sandy, Wanda, Judy

		Administration Sandra, Jennifer, Jen, Susan

		Administration Managers Cara Teuber - Human Resources Manager Mary Stewart - Comptroller Steve Kaiser - Information Technology Manager

		Inventory-Purchasing Herman Tiedeman, Jennifer Wilson, Mary Stewart, Claudia D’Hooge, Linda Michels

		Production Management Larry Billings – Production Manager Matt Fredrickson – Nursery Manager,Virgil Francisco Castillo – Nursery Manager, St. Charles Greg Nichols – Nursery Manager, Michigan Alfredo Castillo - Propagation Foreman (not pictured)

		Production Team - Michigan

		Production Team - Virgil

		Production Team - St. Charles

		Production - Propagation & Pest Management Jose, Primitivo, Esteban, Alfredo, Benito

		Maintenance Robert, Teodoro, Ely, Roland, Erick, Jose, Gustavo

		Gary Knosher – President and CEO Peter Orum – Chairman and Founder Judy Wenciker – Administrative Assistant

		Gary Knosher - President and CEO Christa Orum-Keller - Vice President Stan Schumacher - Vice President

		Irma Orum - Founder Peter Orum -– Chairman and Founder Christa Orum-Keller - VicePresident



© 2005-2012 Midwest Groundcovers, LLC Call 847-742-1790 \| Privacy Policy \| Site by Moser Design \| Home A word to our website visitors: We are wholesale growers that primarily supply landscape contractors, landscape architects, nurseries, garden centers, park districts and municipalities throughout the Midwest United States. We sell retail to the local community who visit our yard. We are not a mail order business.