T&R Company, a manufacturer of landscape tree boxes and distributor of plastic containers for wholesale nurseries and greenhouses, has grown its sales team by two with the appointments of Courtney Lewis-Borts to the position of western Oregon sales representative and Gene Richau as director of sales.
Gene Richau
Richau brings more than 25 years of nursery experience, including a previous nine-year stint at T&R from 2002 to 2011, when he headed up sales and key accounts. He also worked in sales and management with two national container manufacturers: Nursery Supplies Inc., and Myers Lawn and Garden Group.
Extremely active in the nursery trade, Richau is currently regional director for the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers. He is also a former board member for the Nursery Growers Association, the Arizona Nursery Association, and the San Diego Flower and Plant Association. He earned the Arizona Nursery Association Salesperson of the Year in 1996 and the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers Allied Salesperson of the Year in 2000.
“I’m hoping to expand on the formula that has cultivated T&R from a basic wood processing business to the fastest growing horticultural distributor on the West Coast,” Richau said. “My goal is to motivate and empower our sales team and develop new talent.”
Speaking of emerging new talent, Lewis-Borts was elevated from her previous position as T&R’s branch manager for the company’s office and stocking warehouse in Woodburn, Oregon. In that position, she supervised operation of the 13,000-square-foot facility and worked closely with the outside sales team.
Courtney Lewis-Borts
Lewis-Borts learned about the nursery industry at a very young age through her grandfather’s greenhouse business, P&M Gardens Services, in Eagle River, Alaska. There, she was exposed to every aspect of the commercial greenhouse business on the 200,000-square-foot complex, including bedding, potted plants and seasonal crop cultivation. Later, she gained experience doing interior and exterior landscaping and worked with Fessler Nursery Company as head propagator for vegetative annuals. She has also served on the Greenhouse Chapter Board of the Oregon Association of Nurseries.
“Getting a really early foundation in the greenhouse industry has been a precious resource to me years later and even today,” said Lewis-Borts. “In my new role, I will work to make T&R the main supplier to our regional customers for all their horticultural needs. I am also determined to provide exceptional customer service from time of sale, through delivery and follow-up.”
Founded in 1964, T&R Company specializes in containers for nurseries from plug trays tocontainers over 20 feet and all sizes in between. T&R’s headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, California, encompass nearly seven acres with more than 50,000 square feet of production. The company’s facility in Woodburn, Oregon, which services the Northwest region, includes an additional 13,000 square feet of office and warehouse space. For more information, log on to www.trlcompany.com.
