Steadfast & faithful

David van Wingerden possessed a servant’s heart, and he spent his entire adult life in service to others. Whether it was a friend, family member, co-worker, competitor or complete stranger, he treasured helping others. Relationships mattered to him, and he took the time to nurture them. David’s love for his fellow man was genuine.

David’s passing from acute myeloid leukemia in January 2024 is still painful to so many in the global horticulture trade.

He was part owner in some of the largest horticulture businesses in North America, and he loved the plant side of the industry. But he valued the people even more, says his brother and business partner CJ van Wingerden.

“He certainly loved the plants, but more than that he loved the relationships that came from being in the horticulture industry,” CJ says. “One thing you could always count on with David was he knew everybody in the room. Whether it was a big breeder, small breeder, big greenhouse, small greenhouse, large supplier or small supplier, those relationships mattered to him.”

A fount of encouragement

One of David’s gifts was the ability to connect the right people for the best outcome.

“David was constantly looking for the benefit of bringing people together, whether it was a supplier and a customer or a genetic and a customer. He was constantly thinking about how introducing one person to another would help them. It was always about the human or personal connection for David,” says Scott Giesbrecht. Scott, CJ and David were co-owners of Green Circle Growers, Express Seed and Fresh2U Transportation.

It’s an attribute David helped mold into the companies’ mission and one that will continue in his absence.

“We want to be a company that is kind to individuals, that respects one another, that really cares for you as a person,” CJ says. “And David lived that out through and through in how he talked to people and how he literally made time for anybody. If they stopped him in the hall and said, ‘Hey David, I have a question,’ he would be all over it.”

David enjoyed the role of teacher, and he accomplished that in a direct yet supportive way.

Scott Valentine, CEO of Express Seed, fondly remembers the first time he met David in 2012 and learned within minutes of David’s passion for people throughout the horticulture industry.

“I had just started as the president of Syngenta Flowers —– probably two months into taking that position — and I wasn’t from the flower industry,” Scott V. recalls. “David immediately started sharing what was important to the industry and what was important to the growers. He laid it all out — ‘This is what you need to do as the president of Syngenta Flowers to get your products ready for our customers. Not only do you need to focus on quality, but you need to make sure these products are delivered on time exactly when the growers need them.’ It was really my first indoctrination into horticulture since I didn’t have that background.”

David made it a mission “to help the new guy get up to speed.”

“Looking back, it totally fits who he was. In true David fashion, he didn’t just stress what was important but why it was so important,” Scott V. adds.

When he transitioned from the CEO of Syngenta Flowers to the CEO of Express Seed in 2020, he observed David in that same teacher and mentor role with countless others.

“He was a remarkable person. It didn’t matter if you were their No. 1 competitor, he’d give you a tour of the facilities and show you everything. He didn’t hold anything back,” Scott V. says. “He felt sharing this information was for the greater good of the industry.”

CJ says listening was one of David’s greatest skills, which cultivated great patience, as well.

“David was definitely the patient one among the three of us,” Scott G. explains. “And he would relish in the extended conversations, where CJ and I would want to move on to other things. But his patience benefited his comprehensive understanding of how things work.”

David fostered an encouraging leadership style, recalls Scott Rusch, director of business development at Express Seed.

“He shared authority and responsibility with people. Some leaders build a hierarchy and have to put their stamp on everything. David was not like that. Instead, he encouraged people to bring their ideas, take ownership of those ideas and follow through on them,” Scott R. says. “He created a strong group of leaders that are going to take the company forward with his values and his customer-centric view of really everything we do. Express wouldn’t be as strong as it is today without his leadership style and perspective.”

Faithful servant

David’s faith guided his daily life, which was evident in the way he served others, Scott G. says.

“He was passionate about the good news of the gospel. Even in his last days, David would share that life wasn’t about him, but what Christ has done in him,” Scott G. explains.

Scripture and his love of the Lord is what gave him wisdom in dealing with people, says David’s wife Keri. “It’s the reason people were a priority. He knew the grace he had been given, the love he had received, and he wanted others to know.

“His favorite verse was Psalm 119:11, and he preferred the translation that says, ‘I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.’ Scripture was his treasure.”

His faith led him to missionary work, a path Keri took with him.

David and Keri met at The Master’s University (known then as The Master’s College) in Southern California. David’s grandfather, who was running a mission in Ethiopia called Double Harvest, became ill and had to return home. David wanted to continue the mission.

“On our third date, he said, ‘Hey, I’m going to Africa with or without you, but I’d rather take you with me,’” Keri says. “So, it was at that point we started planning our life together and our move to Africa.”

They married in the fall of 1995 and moved to Ethiopia in January 1996. While David always had a heart for people, Keri says that trip solidified his attitude of making people a priority.

And during the last year and a half of David’s life, Keri says she was a “silent participant” in many of his phone calls since she was his chauffeur.

“We had an hour drive each way to the Cleveland Clinic. Early in the morning, he’d call people in Europe, and late in the day, he’d call people on the West Coast,” she says. “Most of those calls were for business, but they always started out on the personal side. He genuinely cared for people’s souls.

“I would get to listen and was so amazed by his wisdom and his ability to insert himself into other people’s lives. A conversation always started with, ‘How are your kids?’ or ‘What did you do this weekend?’ Work wasn’t the priority. People were the priority.”

Life-long learner

To call David inquisitive was an understatement.

“I found David to be one of the most curious people I’ve ever met,” Scott R. says. “I learned how to be more curious because of him.”

David was an avid reader, and if his nose wasn’t in a book, he listened to podcasts and watched videos for educational purposes.

“Sometimes it was deep, like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. And sometimes it was how to smoke the best brisket,” Keri fondly recalls.

His quest for learning overflowed into his work.

“I think about his quest for always wanting to find something new, something better, something different or just investigating a new idea,” Scott R. says. “He had almost unlimited capacity for that, which was refreshing. A lot of times, new ideas get shot down right away. But he would always consider it. He’d ask questions. He’d investigate it. And I think that helped Express Seed be innovative in many ways over the last 20 years.”David’s enthusiasm for innovation is evident in many projects and processes throughout both Express Seed and Green Circle Growers.

“IT and systems were near and dear to him, as well as plant genetics,” Scott R. says. “He was focused on new product development and pushing for better plant breeding that would solve grower issues. He was the architect of the new ERP system (enterprise resource planning) at Express, which is going live later this year. He led the IT group at Express during the last two years of his life. He also was open to looking at technology from different industries and seeing how to effectively apply that in horticulture.”

He helped launch the vinca Cora Series from Syngenta Flowers because it solved a major industry supply chain problem.

“It was the first vinca bred for resistance to aerial Phytophthora, and he believed in this product. It was good for the grower, the landscaper and the consumer,” Scott R. explains. “He also championed SunPatiens from Sakata, because he saw how well they performed for the landscaper and the consumer. He could always see a diamond in the rough and polish it before it went to market.”

David’s vision helped global breeders better understand cutting production for the North American market, says Scott G. “For instance, some European breeders were used to having stock in Africa, and David would help foster relationships with farms in other regions. He’d get that breeder to feel comfortable using farms in Central America to produce stock for the North American market.”

CJ cites David’s problem-solving abilities as one of his most impressive skills.

“He was very deliberate in how he matched up people so he could help them come up with solutions to their problems,” CJ adds.

One of the core values at Express came from David’s example, Scott R. says.

“He’s a firm believer in not beating around the bush. He had an honest approach to everything. You wouldn’t hear him say, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ Because an interesting plant doesn’t sell. He’d say why he liked a plant — and it better solve a grower problem or be an outstanding plant for the consumer. And if he didn’t like it, he’d let you know in a diplomatic way.

“I’ve also heard him tell breeders, ‘Instead of having five plants in the basket, our customers need it to be three. Can you make it branch better?’ Or ‘Our customers need this to sell for Mother’s Day, but this doesn’t flower until June. That’s not good enough.’ He called a spade a spade when it was a spade,” Scott R. says.

David also helped push forward the successful selling initiatives that are a vital part of Express Seed, including ThinkPlants and InVerde Indoor Foliage, CJ says.

Honoring a legacy

David’s team and family members believe the industry will remember David as an innovator, a collaborator and a facilitator. CJ succinctly says his brother’s legacy is how “he cared well for people.”

Many of his acts of caring were behind the scenes.

“At the time of his death, we learned that he helped people in so many ways we never even knew about,” says Scott G. “Because David would often do things for people and not seek recognition.”

David’s view of service to others was reflected on all levels, says Scott R.

“The principle of serving people and David’s pursuit of being the best human he could is still alive and well in this company. I think that’s how the team is carrying on since his passing — to focus on our customers, focus on serving each other, focus on serving our fellow man. That’s how we honor David,” Scott R. adds.

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

David exemplified this notion.

“When the doctor told us there was nothing more we could do, David compiled a list of people he needed to call,” Keri says. “That list never got any shorter, because every day he thought of someone else to add to it. To his dying day, others were his heartbeat.”

Kelli Rodda is editorial director of Greenhouse Management magazine. Contact her at krodda@gie.net.

Meet the other members of the HILA Class of 2024:

• Mark Sellew, Prides Corner Farms
• Jim and Kathy Deal, Pender Nursery
• Elias Mejia, Costa Farms
• Christa Orum-Keller, Midwest Groundcovers
• Ieda Del Bianco, Van Belle Nursery