Cole Mangum

Bell Nursery

Vice President of Operations

• Contributed to the company’s growth from four sites to almost two dozen — becoming one of the largest suppliers to The Home Depot in the country.
• Helped build a sustainability program, which includes several sites buying wind power, recycling 500,000 pounds of plastic and cardboard each year, and a Veriflora Sustainability certification.
• Elected to the AmericanHort board of directors and serving as the chairman of the board.

Making a Splash: In college, Cole was on the swim team and held six team records when he graduated. He also met his future wife while on the swim team.

What’s for Dinner? Cole’s favorite food is puttanesca, a spaghetti dish with tomatoes, anchovies, olives, capers, and garlic. “Basically, a bunch of stuff that makes your breath awful.”