Oct 29, 2015

DeGraaf Named Retail Account Manager at Proven WinnersSource: Proven Winners

Jessica DeGraaf, formerly of Walters Gardens, a Proven Winners perennials provider, has joined the Proven Winners team as retail account manager. In her new role, she will serve as a business development facilitator between independent garden centers and their grower suppliers, brokers and sales representatives.

Jessica is an industry veteran with prior work in sales and marketing at Benary Seed Company and C. Raker and Sons. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from Michigan State University. Her attention to detail, approachable style and passion for the IGC market will be of huge benefit to Proven Winners’ retail customers.

Independent garden centers comprise 77 percent of Proven Winners’ total customer base. DeGraaf will be dedicated exclusively to servicing these customers. Proven Winners continues to offer free staff training to independent retailers through their certified program, providing event planning services and a host of additional value-added services designed to help independent retailers increase sales.

“We are extremely excited that Jessica is joining Proven Winners as her strong background in the industry combined with her professionalism and charming personality will be a huge asset to the thousands of garden centers that participate in the Proven Winners program. Jessica will specifically focus on the needs of the IGCs which will allow Proven Winners to strengthen our existing relationships and create new partnerships within the independent channel as well as bring innovative programs to this vital segment of our industry. We couldn’t be happier to welcome Jessica to the Proven Winners team,” said Dave Konsoer, director of sales at Proven Winners.