Garden Centers of America Presents
Awards During Holiday Tour

Ellen C. Wells

Garden Centers of America (GCA) kicked off its annual Holiday Tour on November 17 with a welcome reception and banquet for attendees and three awards presentations. Receiving the Circle of Excellence awards were Dave Meder of the True Value Company and Carolina Nurseries. The Circle of Excellence awards are presented to an individual or company that has performed above and beyond the call of duty in supporting the industry and GCA.

Dave was presented the individual award for his instrumental role in building the Home and Garden Showplace brand as a retail entity. Dave has served on the GCA Board of Directors since 2004 and chaired numerous committees and Task Forces.

In 2002, Carolina Nurseries, located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, founded Novalis, a growers consortium that grows, distributes, markets and merchandises unique selections to independent garden centers across the country. The Novalis product lines are encompassed in several proprietary programs and collections under the Plants That Work® brand.

The third award presented that evening was the Holiday Supplier award, given to Kurt S. Adler for their leadership and innovation in holiday supplies for the independent garden center industry. The company has been creating holiday décor, products and memories since 1946 and has achieved a dominant position in the market with their blend of innovation, value and service.

GCA ended the tour at Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville, Maryland, with a presentation of the Jack Schneider award to Homestead’s founder and president Don Riddle. The award is GCA’s top award and is presented to the recipient based on his or her lifetime career contribution to the industry and support for GCA. According to GCA president Ken Long, “This is such a special award and it was so exciting to present it in Don’s own store. Don’s devotion to the industry and, specifically, Garden Centers of America is unsurpassed and we are thrilled to recognize his efforts.”