Head Grower

Rountree Nursery & Supply is seeking a hands-on, forward-thinking Head Grower to lead our horticultural operations and drive our next chapter of commercial wholesale expansion. Based primarily at our production facility in Wadesboro, NC , this role blends expert horticulture with team leadership, offering a clear strategic pathway to shaping our growing programs, advanced propagation, and regional wholesale expansion. Company Overview Rountree Nursery & Supply has been a trusted leader in horticulture across the Carolinas since 1980, dedicated to serving premium landscape design, maintenance, and retail customers. Our operation spans two strategic locations in North Carolina to seamlessly meet market demand: our retail garden center is located just outside of Charlotte, NC, serving local retail and landscape customers, while our primary production facility in Wadesboro, NC, serves wholesale clients across both North and South Carolina. Built on a 45-year reputation of exceptional plant health, we are a dynamic, mid-sized growing operation undergoing an exciting phase of commercial wholesale expansion. We offer a culture that balances professional autonomy with true teamwork, providing an experienced grower with the infrastructure, resource backing, and leadership support needed to make a profound operational impact while advancing their career. Position Summary The Head Grower is a critical, dual-nature role blending hands-on, expert horticulture with operational team leadership. This position is primarily located at our Wadesboro production facility, with occasional collaborative travel to our Charlotte-area garden center to work with staff and customers on production updates and new plant education. In this role, you will take full ownership of crop health, fertility, integrated pest management, and climate control across our facility while mentoring and scheduling a dedicated growing team. Initially focused on optimizing our established garden center, landscape annual, and perennial programs, this position offers a clear strategic pathway to taking ownership of supply procurement, advanced propagation, and the launching of extensive new wholesale programs. Key Responsibilities Crop Health & Cultural Management Climate Control Programming: Manage and monitor automated greenhouse control systems to precisely regulate temperature, humidity, venting, etc. against volatile southeastern weather. Irrigation & Fertigation: Design, schedule, and oversee daily watering, commercial water systems, and liquid fertilizer programs to ensure premium crop quality. EC/pH Monitoring: Conduct daily and weekly testing of growing media and water runoff to adjust nutritional recipes, preventing toxicities or deficiencies. Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Scout crops weekly for insect and disease pressure; deploy biological controls or coordinate precise chemical pesticide applications. PGR Application: Calculate and apply Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) to manage plant height, branching, and exact market-ready timing. Garden Center Program: Manage and optimize offerings for our Rountree Monroe location, with the long-term intention to expand to additional garden center customers. Crops include geraniums, hanging baskets, combination pots, Boston and Kimberly Queen ferns, seasonal edibles/herbs, and Poinsettias. Landscape Annual Program: Drive production for our seasonal color programs serving landscape and property maintenance clients. You will lead the effort to scale our current production of 50,000+ flats per season to a target of 80,000-100,000 flats. Landscape Perennial Program: Supervise the perennial sector, pivoting focus toward premium, larger-sized, and hard-to-find materials tailored specifically for high-end residential design clients. Contract Growing: Support and manage specialized custom growing agreements to fulfill commercial client needs. Staff & Customer Education: Periodically engage with the retail garden center team and its client base to provide expert consultation on crop varieties, new plant performance, and production timelines. Daily Staff Supervision: Lead, schedule, and assign daily tasks to assistant growers, chemical applicators, and general laborers at the Wadesboro facility. Mentorship & Training: Provide hands-on training to team members, specifically mentoring the Assistant Grower on technique and operational responsibilities. Cross-Department Collaboration: Coordinate daily with the Production Manager and Farm Manager to balance labor needs across growing, production, and maintenance teams. Safety & Compliance: Enforce Worker Protection Standards (WPS), ensure strict PPE compliance, and maintain all pesticide application logs required by the Department of Agriculture. Weekend Rotation: Serve as a weekend team leader on a seasonal three-weekend rotation (not required during off-peak times), ensuring seamless leadership handoffs. Production Planning & Resource Management Sales Team Alignment: Provide weekly crop readiness reports and update inventory descriptions (e.g., Rooted, Blooming, Dormant) so the sales team knows exactly what is market-ready. Space Maximization: Map out greenhouse and nursery bay configurations to maximize square footage utilization and accommodate rapid seasonal inventory turns. Southeastern Climate Mitigation: Manage heavy humidity and intense summer heat using shade cloths, pad-and-fan cooling systems, and air-circulation fans. Storm & Freeze Preparedness: Execute emergency protocols for extreme weather events, including hurricane tie-downs and firing up backup heating systems during sudden winter freezes. Future Strategic Opportunities As you master our internal systems, you will have the opportunity to expand your role and earnings by: Taking complete operational ownership of seasonal supply and input ordering. Partnering with executive leadership to design, build, and launch a comprehensive wholesale perennial program. Expanding internal propagation and rooting programs to lower input costs. Maximizing off-season greenhouse space utilization to improve overall corporate profitability. Position Requirements Experience: 5+ years of professional commercial grower experience, with a dedicated focus on either annual or perennial production. Technical Skills: Strong, demonstrable proficiency in commercial water systems, chemical application, and automated fertility systems. Leadership: Proven ability to manage, train, motivate, and hold an agricultural team accountable in a fast-paced environment. Communication: A clear, proactive communication style necessary for cross-departmental teamwork and alignment with sales. Licensing: Ability to obtain or maintain a state Private Pesticide Applicator License. Travel Flexibility: Willingness to travel occasionally between the Wadesboro production hub and the Charlotte-area garden center for collaborative education days. #J-18808-Ljbffr Rountree Nursery & Supply