Juan Santillan
Indianapolis
Summary
Elevating Nick Greens LLC through innovative leadership, I spearheaded a team to enhance sales and operational efficiency, showcasing my strengths in staff management and analytical thinking. My approach, blending creativity with strategic program management, significantly improved plant variety and customer engagement, marking a notable achievement in the horticultural industry.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Greenhouse
Nick Greens LLC
03.2014 - Current
- Created plans to grow nursery and garden center and improved sales volume and profitability.
- Assigned team work schedules, delegated commensurate with staff member skills and monitored and evaluated performance.
- Inspected nursery and equipment for signs of disrepair and coordinated repairs and replacements.
- Kept up-to-date on latest nursery trends and advances and served as valued resource for team and customers.
- Wrote and distributed customer help information on care for nursery products, watering and sun needs.
- Oversaw growth, planting and maintenance of retail nursery and display gardens.
- Hired and trained permanent and temporary nursery staff and adjusted levels to account for peak seasons and off-seasons.
- Ordered plants and nursery merchandise and maintained marketable inventory across seasons.
- Monitored watering times, soil conditions and plant positions and made informed adjustments in response to weather conditions.
- Collected and reported on metrics related to stock growth, production actions and environmental assessments to facilitate effective decision making.
- Ran 30 different climate-controlled areas with over 100 plant varieties.
- Budgeted equipment purchases and regular repairs.
- Optimized growth and development at every stage and moved finished plants to sales displays for customer viewing.
- Used skills to grow new plants from seeds, clippings, bulbs and clone-cubes.
- Wrote and improved SOPs to maintain consistency across shifts and work areas.
- Placed supply orders, restocked supplies and merchandised products for purchase by customers.
- Directed work of 30 -member team of nursery staff and greenhouse growers managing need of more than 200,000 plants.
- Inspected and repaired equipment for crop management.
- Performed repairs and preventive maintenance on equipment and property.
- Used Agrivi to record and document information regarding pesticide use, yields and costs.
- Researched pests and diseases common to individual types of stock and developed mitigation plans.
- Oversaw cultivation and harvesting of over 1,000,000 pounds in 100 crops each year.
- Coordinated inventories of seeds, chemicals, plant nutrients and tools to achieve business targets.
- Maintained tidy, clean and well-organized greenhouse for optimal productivity and professionalism.
- Set and improved standard operating procedures to oversee stock management, pond maintenance, and feeding schedules.
- Worked closely with employees to improve practices, techniques and safety choices, optimizing performance, and minimizing waste.
- Maximized operational profits by closely inspecting crops, assessing quality, and identifying problems such as disease or insects.
- Set up and managed plant irrigation systems to maintain optimal flows to different types of plants.
- Enforced strong safety and environmental protections to support habitats while preventing harm to employees or consumers.
- Education outreach with NASA
- Remote problem solving
Horticulturist
Dohmencompanyfoundation
09.2019 - 07.2020
- Demonstrated continual positive effort to maintain working relationships with staff, volunteers and management.
- Liaised with manager to plan and coordinate projects, determine necessary personnel or discuss indoor farm concerns.
- Retained knowledge of plants and understanding of cultural requirements to maximize growth and cultivation.
- Coached, counseled and mentored assigned staff to build positive employee relations and document performance.
- Plan and build indoor hydroponic farm
- Advised food growers on ways to best use land and most advantageous crops to grow.
- Business Plan, Incentives
Horticulturist
CropKing Inc
05.2017 - 10.2019
- Tagged and labeled plants in research greenhouse to record planting location information.
- Liaised with manager to plan and coordinate projects, determine necessary personnel or discuss greenhouse concerns.
- Retained knowledge of plants and understanding of cultural requirements to maximize growth and cultivation.
- Led horticultural tours to assist with educational programming and special events.
- Performed minor repair of power and irrigation equipment to maintain proper functionality.
- Inspected greenhouses to identify insect or disease problems and weed control needs.
- Documented plant information and identified plant material to process and maintain accession records.
- Maintained horticultural calendar to track bloom periods and seasonal cultural needs.
- Supervised land conservation projects and waste management programs for farms.
- Investigated contamination in soil and groundwater and explored ways to remediate contaminated areas.
- Studied breeding and cultivation of plants and yield crops produced at end of growing season.
- Advised food growers on ways to best use land and most advantageous crops to grow.
- Provided consulting to large size farms.
Master Grower
Farmed Here
06.2014 - 08.2016
- Educated employees and members of public on plant biology and health.
- Unloaded plants and nursery items from delivery trucks.
- Maximized water conservation, checking sprinkler spray angles and testing digital controller performance.
- Identified plant diseases and researched methods for mitigation.
- Harvested fruits and vegetables and prepared for sale or shipping.
- Managed wide variety of plants, from seedlings to mature specimens, keeping soils and planting beds healthy and conducive for growth.
- Communicated with coworkers and management to report challenges.
- Used effective weed control methods, promoting plant growth.
- Regulated watering and fertilizing to avoid waste while nurturing plants.
- Assisted with maintenance and installation of irrigation equipment.
- Purchased supplies such as seed, pesticides, and fertilizer.
- Evaluate harvesting conditions and identify obstacles.
- Assembled and maintained greenhouses and other structures to assist with business operations.
- Manage retail and wholesale client account.
- Assist team members with HACCP
- Develop and brew various organic compost tea formulas to aid in growth and maintenance of plants.
Grower
Plant Chicago NFP
06.2010 - 07.2014
- Planted bulbs, trees, bushes, and flowers for residential and commercial clients.
- Mulched gardens, placed sod, and adjusted soils to provide optimal growth potential.
- Educated employees and members of public on plant biology and health.
- Maximized water conservation, checking sprinkler spray angles and testing digital controller performance.
- Assisted with maintenance and installation of irrigation equipment.
- Diagnosed and treated pest and disease problems in plants, shrubs and trees.
- Managed wide variety of plants, from seedlings to mature specimens, keeping soils and planting beds healthy and conducive for growth.
- Used effective weed control methods, promoting plant growth.
- Identified plant diseases and researched methods for mitigation.
- Led team of 100 skilled and unskilled farm personnel.
- Evaluate harvesting conditions and identify obstacles.
- Planted, cultivated and harvested various types of trees, shrubs, and plants.
- Purchased supplies such as seed, pesticides, and fertilizer.
- Mulched and composted soil to appropriately vary soil conditions depending on specific plant needs.
- Communicated with coworkers and management to report challenges.
- Harvested fruits and vegetables and prepared for sale or shipping.
- Initiated neighborhood teen mentoring program.
- Coordinated volunteer activities.
Volunteer
Mighty Hydro
06.2009 - 06.2010
- Built demo grow systems
- Learned about fertilizers
Education
Instructor
IPRO At ILLINOIS TECH
Chicago, IL09-2010
Associate of Science - Science
City Colleges of Chicago
Chicago, IL06-2008
Skills
- Coaching and mentoring
- Analytical thinking
- Corporate communications
- Staff management
- Decision-making
- Hiring and retention
- Creativity and innovation
- Program management
- Business administration
- Multitasking and organization
Timeline
Horticulturist
Dohmencompanyfoundation
09.2019 - 07.2020
Horticulturist
CropKing Inc
05.2017 - 10.2019
Master Grower
Farmed Here
06.2014 - 08.2016
Director of Greenhouse
Nick Greens LLC
03.2014 - Current
Grower
Plant Chicago NFP
06.2010 - 07.2014
Volunteer
Mighty Hydro
06.2009 - 06.2010
Instructor
IPRO At ILLINOIS TECH
Associate of Science - Science
City Colleges of Chicago
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