The Grower Specialist Team at Sun Gro is made up of horticultural scientists with expertise in greenhouse production unique to each region they cover. They are here to support growers by providing industry leading technical insights and help troubleshoot any production challenge. They can help create customized solutions for higher yields and improved crop time by utilizing our best-fit greenhouse and nursery mixes. Some of the services they provide include:
- Choosing the right products and formulations for your needs
- Answering technical questions
- Providing and interpreting analyses of water, fertilizer, growing media and plant tissue
- Troubleshooting horticultural challenges and improving growing operations
Graham Wright
Graham is the Grower Specialist for the western United States and has been with Sun Gro for over 10 years. Graham graduated from the University of Natal, South Africa with a BSc. Agriculture with majors in Botany and Horticulture and went on to complete an MSc. Agriculture with a major in Horticultural Science working on substrates for vegetable transplant production. Graham moved to Florida to continue his studies and then started work at Speedling Incorporated in their Research and Development Department. He moved to California in 1992 with the opening of their state-of-the-art ebb and flow vegetable transplant nursery and ultimately became the west coast division manager. The move to Sun Gro was a natural fit for Graham who had been a customer of Sun Gro for 20 years and he joined a familiar team with whom he had interacted over that time. Graham resides in Santa Maria, California and can be reached at [email protected] or (805) 478 6081.
Paul Karlovich
Paul is the Grower Specialist for the mid-central United States and has been at Sun Gro since 2018. He received his BS from Penn State University (Floriculture), his MS from North Carolina State University, and PhD from Iowa State University. Paul worked for 28 years at C. Raker & Sons, Inc. (now Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants) as research director and business Leader. After leaving Raker he worked as the Chief Cultivation Officer at Standard Farms in Pennsylvania, one of the first Medical Cannabis operations in the state. For the past eight years, he has used his expertise to help growers be successful with growing media at Sun Gro Horticulture. Paul resides in Hillsdale, Michigan and can be reached at [email protected] or (517) 320 – 2664.
Brandon Yep
Brandon is the Grower specialist for Canada and has been at Sun Gro since 2021. Brandon has a background in cannabis, aquaponics and rootzone management having previously served as the agronomist for one of the largest cannabis producers in North America. Brandon received his BSc in Agriculture and MSc in Environmental Horticulture Sciences from the University of Guelph where he published numerous scientific papers on growing cannabis aquaponically and developed the first online University cannabis course. When not visiting growers across Canada, Brandon resides in Cambridge, Ontario. He can be reached at [email protected] or (289) 544-7933.
Harrison Meekins
Harrison is the Grower Specialist for the southeastern United States and has been at Sun Gro since 2024. Harrison has a strong background in research, having previously worked at the University of Florida studying heavy metal quantification and remediation in container substrates. He received his B.S. in Plant Science and M.S. in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida, where he published multiple scientific papers and worked closely with floriculture industry partners. When not visiting with growers across the southeastern United States, Harrison resides in Orlando, Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or (352) 762-3906.
Shiv Reddy
Shiv provides support for the international sales team. The international group has 3-4 meetings/week with customers, where they translate Sun Gro products for use in local conditions. They respond to 24-hour WhatsApp dings from customers— it’s always business hour somewhere! They solve grower problems remotely by viewing and analyzing videos from farm fields. They visit customers to see how they grow—tasting berries while testing mixes is a perk, as they now work on fruits & veggies! Previously, Shiv worked in USA & Canada on ornamentals, cannabis. Also, Shiv developed Technigro fertilizers that included sulfur and patented mixes that embed silicon—when sulfur & silicon were little known. Shiv can be reached at [email protected] or (209) 602-4771.
Dan Jacques
Dan Jacques has a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and has been with Sun Gro for over 30 years. Dan has covered various areas of the US, Canada and the rest of the world over time, but mainly the Northeast (New England and the Mid-Atlantic states). Dan has been the Grower Services Manager for the past 5 years while still covering the Northeast region. Dan lives in Massachusetts and when not busy shoveling snow, enjoy spending time with family (especially his 2 grandsons), traveling, and hiking. Dan can be reached at Dan [email protected] or (413) 627-1412.