The company formerly known as C. Raker and Sons has been officially purchased by Eric Wallien of Roberta’s of Waldron, Ind., according to a press release. It has recently changed the name of its business to Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants.

There have been minimal changes in management, and Raker-Roberta's Young Plants will be providing the same products and services on which C. Raker and Sons has built its reputation in the industry, according to the release. The company asks that customers, suppliers and business partners bring this announcement to the attention of other departments within their organizations and direct them accordingly.

The office location, phone, and fax numbers will remain the same as below (mailing, billing, and shipping address):

Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants
10371 Rainey Road
Litchfield, MI 49252
Phone: 517.542.2316
Fax: 517.542.2565

Customers will notice the name change soon on all of the company's mailings, packaging, invoices and promotional materials.

Laura Robles has joined the Walters Gardens growing family as trials manager. Robles most recently served as research and development manager for Mast Young Plants.

During her tenure at Mast Young Plants, Robles established a positive reputation in the horticulture industry as a knowledgeable resource in trialing varieties for breeding companies. With Walters Gardens, Robles will participate in the trialing process with young plant and finished container production, as well as research production of varieties that are new or not yet widely released.

"We are ecstatic that Laura has joined Walters Gardens as trials manager," said John Walters, CEO of Walters Gardens, Inc. "Seeing what she has done over her career in the green industry has given us a good deal of excitement on what she can do for the trialing department."

AmericanHort is now accepting applications for its HortScholars program. The program is open to any college student in a horticulture-related program.

Applications are due by March 1, 2018. Apply here

From top to bottom: Sayde Heckman, 2016, University of Missouri; Jared Barnes, PhD, 2011, North Carolina State University; Nicholas Flax, 2014, Iowa State University; Jennifer Hatalski, 2011, College of Western Idaho

From American Express:

New York, Nov. 27, 2017 -- As Small Business Saturday closed out its eighth year on Saturday, Nov. 25, shoppers provided an encouraging boost to small businesses at the start to the holiday shopping season.

According to data from the 2017 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, released today by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express, an estimated 108 million consumers reported shopping or dining at local independently-owned businesses. 

“Year after year, Small Business Saturday receives remarkable support from shoppers and communities nationwide,” says Elizabeth Rutledge, executive vice president of Global Advertising and Media at American Express. “In year eight, it’s encouraging to see Small Business Saturday continue to gain momentum as more people recognize the benefits that independently-owned businesses bring to their neighborhoods—and our country as a whole.”

Read the rest of this story here.