We may have new messaging, but that does not mean our values and operations are new. Our new messaging is a tool to better communicate and showcase what we at Loma Vista Nursery have been doing all along. This week we are featuring our family message. We may be family-owned, but we do so much more to ensure that we care for everyone who is a part of our team.
Our family owned message:
Family Owned ~ At Loma Vista Nursery, we are building a legacy of caring for plants and people.
The Beginning
Loma Vista Nursery was founded in 1991 by Mark Clear, a former MLB Baseball star with a passion for plants. He worked each and every day to create a business that first and foremost cares for its employees. Mark says, “What I care most about Loma Vista is that we are able to provide jobs that can fully support people in their lives.” Mark is a plant aficionado and gets very excited with every new batch of crops. He has instilled his love of plants in Lyndsi Oestmann, his daughter, who now acts as the VP of Loma Vista.
above: Mark Clear and Lyndsi Oestmann
When asked about why Lyndsi cares about Loma Vista, she says, “For one, I am so proud that we are able to provide a livelihood for our team, but secondly, I care so much about these products and this industry. We are growing plants that will be placed in landscapes for people to use for years and years.” Because we know the impact our plants will have on people and the locations they are planted, we uphold the highest standards and most thorough practices to grow our plants. Learn more about our facility HERE.
A Culture of Caring
Our culture of caring goes beyond our plants though. Our perennial grower and propagator, Brooke Stamm, says, “My favorite part of working here is that we feel like one big family. Everyone looks out for each other.” It’s nearly unbelievable how well everyone gets along here, but it’s all thanks to the environment Mark and Lyndsi have created her. Caitlin Hupp, one of our lead sales representatives, says, “Lyndsi has always encouraged a healthy work-life balance and that is something really stands out to me at Loma Vista Nursery. Whether it is understanding the demands of being a working parent, allowing time off to be there for an ill family member, or taking time off for a family vacation, I always feel supported in balancing work and personal life.”
above: Our team at Boulevard Brewery for a mixer at the Western tradeshow this year.
On top of supporting each of our team members outside of work, Lyndsi also creates ways to support each employee at work. During the SuperBowl, we always play the Squares game, and Loma Vista always sets up a March Madness bracket for us during the NCAA tournament. During the warmer months, we have ‘Fish After Work’ days where everyone stays after to fish and BBQ.
Hurricane Maria Response
Loma Vista’s response to the hurricane in Puerto Rico last year really showed how much we look out for every member of the team. We have a good number of employees from Puerto Rico including the Santiago brothers: Pedro (shipping) and Josh (HR). When the hurricane hit, our team members from Puerto Rico were here in Kansas, hundreds of miles away from their families and the communities they grew up in. When asked about how that experience was for them, Pedro says, “Leanne, Mark and Lyndsi were awesome to us. They knew our concerns, so they went and booked all of us flights.” Not only did they buy flights to send our workers over to Puerto Rico, but Loma Vista also bought tickets to bring them and their families back over here. “I’ve always been thankful for [Mark and Lyndsi]. They have always been there for us,” Pedro says.
Above: Our team inspecting boxwood after a planting.
Community Involvement
We at Loma Vista Nursery are also trying to build a legacy in the community we are a part of here in Ottawa, KS. Most recently we have donated to the new Legacy Square in town, but we also try to donate plants and give back to the community when we can. Last summer we donated and planted shrubs and perennials outside of the Old Depot museum with our summer interns. Lyndsi has also inspired some of us to join the OAYP (Ottawa Area Young Professionals) group in order to get involved in the community. Laura Snider, our accountant, now is even on the planning committee for OAYP.
above: Our interns in front of the Old Depot museum by the plants we donated and planted.
To wrap this all up, we are not growing plants to meet ends meet. Instead, Loma Vista Nursery is creating a legacy of caring for plants and the landscapes they go into, for the people encountering our plants, for the community we are involved in, and for the team we work with.
Messages
Stay tuned for blog posts about more of our Core Messages coming in the next few weeks. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at sales@lomavistanursery.com or (785) 229-7200
Check out all of our messages here: https://lomavistanursery.com/messages/
above: Lyndsi Oestmann inspecting the branching and foliage quality of our container trees.
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