Shawn Cox

Shawn Cox

General Manager

Shawn continues the family tradition of our business founded by his parents, Bill and Cindy Cox, in 1982. He grew his business acumen as a child selling seeds and cactus cuttings he collected from his neighborhood, while other kids sold lemonade. Fast forward to a BS from ASU in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and today he’s a leading force in the horticulture industry. From water conservation to the quest for rare agaves in Mexico, Shawn lives and breathes botany. He and his wife Lauren are the proud parents of 3 boys: Corbin, Callum, and Carson.

Tim Baer

Tim Baer

Manager

A key factor to our success is Tim. He’s been with us for over 14 years, with a total 28 years in the business. He brings the definition of a “can-do” attitude. Tim knows every nuance of how to manage farms, fields, and people. Efficiently and with a sense of humor, which is his secret M.O. Ask his wife and 2 kids, they’ll tell you he missed his calling as a comedian.

John Kime

John Kime

Sales Manager

John knows the art to customer service. Literally. Before leading our sales team, he traveled the world as Exhibition Director for Phoenix Art Group. His portfolio even included his own paintings. Lucky for us, he came back to his roots from growing up on a farm. A Phoenix native, he knows what plants perform here best. Married, with 2 teenage daughters and 3 crazy cats.

Fernando Vega Flores

Fernando Vega Flores

Manager

Managing our Sun Crest location is a non-stop job, so it’s a good thing Fernando is a marathon runner. Fernando joined us 18 years ago from the beautiful state of Sinaloa, Mexico – the most prominent agricultural region in all of Mexico. That’s just one of the reasons he’s so good at what he does for us. More notably, it’s his empathetic diligence for his clients.

Francisco Ramirez

Francisco Ramirez

Assistant Sales Manager

Francisco is a graduate of the historic Phoenix College, but originally from Fresno, CA. We’ve had the pleasure of having him on our team for over 9 years. He’s earned such a positive reputation in the area, that complete strangers will come up to him and want to talk about plants. Everybody bonds with Francisco – his wife, 2 kids, 2 huskies and 2 love birds.

Tony Sereno

Tony Sereno

Innovation Lab Manager

A native of Washington DC, Tony attended ASU and joined us over 2 years ago. Before that, he was an optician for 18 years in Phoenix. His perfectionist background and eye for microscopic detail was perfect training for our Innovation Lab. After a stressful day of utilizing his herbivicus charm in the lab, he unwinds at home by gaming. His favs are Madden and War Zone.

Paul Behnen

Paul Behnen

Brand/Creative Director

Paul received a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and became an ad man, rising to creative director in New York of famous brands, including the Super Bowl hit E*Trade Baby. When he and his wife moved to Phoenix, his landscape passion won over. Today, his marketing experience is at work on our brand, bringing vision to everything from our website to our packaging.

Salomon Sanchez

Salomon Sanchez

Sales Representative

Salomon puts the family in family business, with over 32 years with us. Not only does he know most customers by name, but he is also bringing his expertise to the 2nd generation of landscape professionals. A bi-lingual native of Guanajuato, Mexico, he brings a natural familiarity to plants like agave and cacti. Combined with his strong work ethic, and easy to see why customers love him.

Hector Gamez

Hector Gamez

Sales Representative

You won’t find a more committed and passionate plant expert than Hector. He’s been on our team for over 10 years, with an incredible 35 years working in the industry. He grew up in Sinaloa, Mexico, a fertile area on the western coast and attended University there in civil engineering. So, Hector knows how to execute big design projects. Married and blessed with 5 children.

Larry Hollett

Larry Hollett

SW Sales Representative

While Larry has been on the team for over 2 years, he has an impressive 46 years in the plant industry. You have a plant problem or question? Call Larry. He’ll solve it. He’s an animal-lover, too, with 3 dogs and a cat. Larry loves all sports, but the fun fact is that he traveled around the US for several years as a professional disc golfer.

Joel Eden

Joel Eden

Sales Representative

Joel is originally from Milwaukee and still a Brewer’s fan but doesn’t miss the frigid winters on the lake. He’s a graduate of ITT Technical Institute and while he’s been on the sales team for over 5 years, is also our reliable tech guru. Besides great service and expertise, his beaming smile, quick-witted jokes, and hearty laugh bring back his customers time after time.

Savannah Butler

Savannah Butler

Sales Representative

Savannah is married with a precious baby girl. Her family is from Iowa, thus her “Midwest work ethic.” After studying to become a school teacher at Glendale Community College, she missed the fast-paced retail world and joined our team. Her classroom training is used every day in our business. She compares it to a puzzle game in which we all contribute to the whole picture.

Caleb Hollett

Caleb Hollett

Sales Representative

Caleb may look young, but he’s been in the plant industry for over 10 years. In fact, he has a “cacti test facility” in his backyard. He grew up in Peoria, AZ and began hunting and fishing when he was only 5 years old. Little did he know at the time, those skills in focus and problem-solving would make him invaluable to our customers today.