Metrolina Greenhouses Named International Grower of the Year

Jun 17, 2022
Metrolina Greenhouses Named International Grower of the Year

Metrolina Greenhouses was recently named 2022 International Grower of the Year by a panel of horticulture industry judges at an awards ceremony in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The Huntersville, North Carolina-based wholesale greenhouse operation won the coveted International Grower of the Year title and Gold Rose Award during a recognition ceremony in Amsterdam, according to a news release from the company. The awards were presented by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) and Floraculture International magazine at GreenTech Amsterdam, an international conference focused on cutting edge technology and business opportunities in horticulture.

Metrolina Greenhouses and eight other companies were named as finalists for the International Grower of the Year Awards, recognizing the best producers of young plants, finished plants and nursery plants and trees, according to the news release. The prestigious awards ceremony, established in 2009, recognizes best practices, innovation and sustainability in horticultural production by ornamental production nurseries around the world.

Metrolina Greenhouses was the only American grower in contention for the award, according to the news release. To date, only one other U.S. grower has been named International Grower of the Year.

“We want to thank AIPH for the nomination for International Grower of the Year on behalf of our whole company; all 1,500 of our associates are really excited about this nomination,” Metrolina Greenhouses co-CEO Abe VanWingerden said in the news release. “What’s cool is this is also our 50th anniversary as a company here at Metrolina, so this is just icing on the cake on what’s been a great year for us celebrating our 50th year. We recognize that awards like this aren’t for anything we’ve done in one year or just a couple of years, but what we’ve been able to accomplish over many years.”

In addition to the overall award, Metrolina Greenhouses is the Gold Winner in the Finished Plants and Trees category, a recognition of its status as a world leader in horticulture, innovation, and sustainability.

Metrolina Greenhouses said it wished to thank AIPH, Floraculture International and its sponsors for the nomination and the awards. Sponsors for the events include Royal FloraHolland, Expo 2021 Hatay, GreenTech, Global G.A.P, Freddie’s Flowers, and Dutch Flower Group. Metrolina also thanks and congratulates its fellow finalists on their nominations and awards, including Brookdale Treeland Nurseries in Canada, Bunnik Plants in Netherlands, Jens Meyer Jungpflanzen in Germany, Luxaflor Roses in Zimbabwe, Matina Flowers in Colombia, Prim’Rose in Morocco, Sitio Kolibri in Brazil, and Wagagai Limited in Uganda.