Chaloupka Joins Visions Group

After a long and successful tenure at the helm of Denmark, Wis.-based Floral Plant Growers (FPG), Dean Chaloupka has decided to embark on a new career and will be stepping down from his position as president and chief executive officer, effective Dec. 12, 2008.

Chaloupka has served as chief executive officer of the business since 2001. He will continue his 25-year relationship with Floral Plant Growers through his new position at Visions Group, an advisory and consulting firm to the horticulture industry.

For the past several years, Floral Plant Growers has worked with Visions Group. The consulting group helped Floral Plant Growers achieve VeriFlora certification in 2008. As part of the grower and wholesaler’s ongoing relationship with Visions, Chaloupka has agreed to provide certain consulting services to FPG.

Chaloupka will join Visions Group, made up of industry experts Dave Edenfield, Jim Snyder and Dr. Jim Barrett, on Jan. 1, 2009. He brings to the table varied leadership experience, including family and private-equity ownership models, multifacility and multiregional production facilities, development of network grower supply bases, facility acquisition and divestiture, management of retail-ready and grower-ready product lines, pay by scan and PO-based supply models.

“We are excited by Dean’s decision to join us, as he brings not only 25 years of horticultural management experience, but a strong track record of success in guiding his organization through a swiftly changing business environment,” said Visions Group President Dave Edenfield. “We feel Dean’s highly diverse background and experience will fit well with our mission to work collaboratively with our clients in creating value and aligning their organization for continued success.”

For more information about Visions Group or this announcement, contact Edenfield at dave@visionsgroupllc.com or (440) 319-2458. Chaloupka can be reached at dean@visionsgroupllc.com or (920) 639-6352.