The horticulture industry is rich with opportunities in multiple sectors of focus, including in production, service and marketing. There is a place for anyone with a passion for plants and a desire to make a difference.
In honor of Green Career Week, presented annually by Seed Your Future, a movement to promote horticulture and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants, we present this interview with Duane Huss, Loma Vista Nursery’s operations manager.
How long have you been with Loma Vista Nursery, Duane?
I am in my 10th year of being operations manager, the only position I have ever held at Loma Vista Nursery.
Duane said overseeing a crew and running a small business to put himself through college paved the way for his career in a leadership role. He gave a talk about improved varieties at our Proven Winners Landscape Roadshow a few years ago.
What educational background or early work experience best prepared you for your leadership role at Loma Vista Nursery?
I attended Iowa State University and earned a degree in horticulture and agronomy many years ago. To put myself through school, I owned and operated a small truck farming business and was also a crew leader at a corn research facility in Iowa. Overseeing a crew and running a small business prepared me well for what lay ahead in my career after college. It showed me both the leadership side and what it took to run a successful business.
Day-to-day responsibilities include checking in with team members, including Alfredo Rios, plant health manager.
What are the day-to-day and seasonal responsibilities of an operations manager at a wholesale nursery?
Operations managers need to check in with their supervisors every day to make sure their team has everything they need. They also need to be forward thinking about what comes next. For instance, in the spring we are looking ahead to fall, focusing on tasks such as ordering supplies, determining what personnel is needed and identifying any training that needs to be done beforehand.
What critical skills, beyond a general interest in plants, are required to thrive in nursery operations?
You always need to have a Plan B. Never get too comfortable in your job, as something always comes up that needs to be addressed. This could be weather, equipment or people-related. Things are always changing.
Duane answers questions and assists with tours from industry clients, colleagues and partners. This was during the 2024 American Hort Nursery tour.
What is the typical career path for a horticulture student or career-changer aiming for a management position at a wholesale nursery?
A student needs to learn as much as they can early on in their career. Ask lots of questions. In this industry, people are typically very helpful and want to pass that information on to others.
How have industry changes, particularly in technology and automation, redefined the skill sets you look for when hiring?
The industry has evolved over the past 20 years. Many nurseries are now using drones for scouting and spraying in field situations, IPM management in controlled situations, wireless irrigation systems that are set up through your phone and racking systems for easier customer handling. Knowing how all of these are applied and for what use is critical in separating yourself from other candidates.
Duane says teaching and listening, along with being willing to grow, is a good recipe for mentoring teams. Torrae George is our inventory manager.
Describe your approach to mentoring your team. How do you help them develop their professional careers in the horticulture industry?
I believe that it is every manager’s obligation to teach the younger generations what has worked and not worked in the past. Managers also need to be open to new ideas for solving a problem and have younger generations try different ideas that may not have been tried before. If we both learn something from this, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Based on your years of experience, what three key pieces of wisdom would you share with someone considering a horticulture career?
First, make sure you enjoy working outdoors in all conditions. Every day isn’t going to be 75 degrees and sunny. Second, keep a general ledger of what you are doing in your job. This will help you remember what you were doing at your company during a certain time of the year. Lastly, never give up. Everything isn’t going to go your way every day. We all make mistakes, but we want to learn from them and become better plant people.
What certifications, internship or specialized training would make a candidate stand out during the hiring process?
A person with broad-based work experience in the industry really stands out. If they have worked at a garden center, landscape distribution center and a wholesale yard, that would really make them stand out from other candidates to me.
Celebrating Paulino’s 30th anniversary with the company!
What emerging career opportunities will become essential to the horticulture industry over the next five to 10 years?
We need to have more “plant people” in the industry. We need more people who want to energize our industry and keep making beautiful plants that we are proud to put in the marketplace.
What will be different in the industry, and how should students and career-changers best prepare?
The horticulture industry is moving toward more automation every year. Students and career-changers need to make sure they have the knowledge and computer skills to keep moving our industry forward.
We hope our blog inspires you to consider a green-industry career. For more information about Seed Your Future and how they can help students and career changers, click here.
About Loma Vista Nursery ‒ Midwest Wholesale Plant Grower
Celebrating 35 years in business in 2026, Loma Vista Nursery grows a variety of healthy perennial plants, trees and shrubs for independent garden centers, landscape contractors and wholesale distributors. Review our plant catalog for detailed information and to pre-order.
Visit our website to learn more about our nursery, including our processes, plant varieties and business values. For assistance with orders or plant-related questions, please call (785) 229-7200 or send an email to sales@lomavistanursery.com. Our team of plant experts is happy to answer questions and provide information about the reliable varieties we grow.
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