Skagit Horticulture has appointed Scott Crownover as the company’s new president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Crownover joined Skagit in 2018 as chief operations officer. In this new role, he is replacing Mark Buchholz, who semi-retired at the end of 2018 and will continue to serve the company in an advisory role.

Crownover has more than 35 years of experience in horticulture and has been empowered to develop strategies to grow Skagit into one of the top nursery companies in North America. Prior to joining the company, Crownover served in a variety of other roles, but most recently was president of McHutchison Horticultural Distributors before that company was acquired by Dümmen Orange.

In his new role with Skagit Horticulture, Crownover will oversee all company divisions, which span from unrooted cuttings to finished plants in ornamental, landscape and specialty agriculture, and which include four growing locations in Washington and California. He can be reached at [email protected].

Buchholz joined Skagit Gardens Inc. in 2011 as sales manager for finished material, and was appointed president and CEO in 2012. When the company merged with Northwest Horticulture in 2016, he became president and CEO of the resulting company, Skagit Horticulture. He previously served as chief operating officer of Oregon Vineyard Supply and has amassed 45 years of experience in horticulture.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I’ve had here to help bring two well-known companies together and I look forward to a different role this next year,” Buchholz stated in a memo to company employees. “At the same time, I believe that it is time for some new ideas, which I am confident Scott will be able to provide.”