Meet the Primex Team

David “officially” began working in the warehouse at Primex in 1972. In 1977, David moved into the store joining his grandfather, Bill, and father, Gordon. Through lots of hard work, and “a little luck, we have been able to weather the storms and grow the business.” Over time he has overseen the purchase of two adjoining properties and the construction of a second warehouse, two greenhouses and the wooden shed in the nursery. “We have done the best we can to keep up with our customer demands for parking, high quality staffing, up to the minute product selection and beautiful plants for both indoors and in your landscape.”

“We are so pleased to see the interest in gardening continue whether it involves vegetable and herbs, annuals, perennials, ornamentals or house plants, like terrariums or succulents in your home. We are so grateful to have the support of generations of customers and we are delighted each time to welcome and see the interest of ‘first timers’ to our store.”

One of our main focus areas has become the Primex Green Project, where our main goal is to encourage younger generations from kindergarten through high school and beyond to incorporate gardening into their lives. We work with many area schools and institutions to encourage the appreciation of horticulture into people’s lives.

Joan started as a sales person and display designer in 1975. Today, she is an owner of Primex along with her husband David. Joan has a sound knowledge of turf & can help you develop a healthy lawn by pointing out the right soil amendments, seed, and maintenance practices you should provide for your individual site and conditions. She purchases all of the flower and vegetable seeds and continues to enjoy creating store displays.  When not at Primex, Joan enjoys spending time with her grandchildren & peaceful walks in the woods at the lake.

Danny started at Primex in 1993 in a seasonal warehouse position, and became a full-time employee in 2000. Danny’s responsibilities include sales, buying, computer operations, and replenishing store products. Contractors and landscapers who have questions about product and pricing rely on him, and Danny can also sometimes be seen at the register, where he cheerfully pitches in when the need presents itself.

With a lifetime of experience in the horticulture industry and a degree in biology, Anne has been the Manager of Primex since 1990. Anne’s experience growing up on a fruit farm provides her with a wealth of knowledge about fruit- and vegetable-related issues. Ornamental plant and turf disease diagnosis, pest identification, and the correct treatment for these problems are also her strong suits. Anne can provide advice on a multitude of horticultural topics—from establishing a new lawn or caring for a backyard pond, to installing an above-ground irrigation system. If there is an item that Primex does not carry, Anne will do her best to locate and order that product for you. In her spare time, Anne enjoys canning tomatoes and peaches. She also makes a mean jar of bread and butter pickles!

Nickie has been in the garden center industry for over 20 years, and holds a degree in biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She joined Primex in 2009 and brings her keen eye for insect & disease identification. Bring in a plant sample & Nickie will be happy to identify and recommenced treatment. In her current role at Primex, she works in sales, and also handles buying our wide selection pottery among other items. Nickie grew up on a farm in Bucks County, where her family raised vegetables and strawberries. She enjoys running with her husky and gardening—especially veggies, perennials & ponds.  She has had over 40 years of birding  experience. She recently began raising backyard chickens that she acquired through our Chick Days at Primex.

Ron came to Primex in 2011 after many years spent designing, constructing and maintaining gardens throughout the Philadelphia area. Ron was formally trained as an architect at Drexel University prior to completing the Horticultural Program at the Barnes Foundation and serving an internship at Worden Farm, a certified organic CSA and market in southwest Florida.  He is also an active Master Gardener and PA Certified Horticulturist.  Ron enjoys teaching others how to garden and is available for home garden consultations and coaching sessions.  In his free time, Ron can be found tending to his ever-evolving half acre garden.  During the winter months, Ron and his wife make a yearly migration to sunnier weather in Florida and Mexico.  Ron Kushner is the author of “A Year in the Rock Garden: An Organic Garden Guide” which can be found at ronsorganicgarden.com.

An invaluable member of the Primex team since 2004, Gloria’s specialty is organics! She enjoys starting her own seeds for her chemical-free vegetable garden, and continually keeps herself abreast of the latest and greatest organic products, techniques, and garden solutions. Among many other topics, Gloria can answer any questions on how to attract and feed birds, start your own seeds, or which organic plants, fertilizers, and other products would be best for you. Gloria obtained her love for gardening from her grandmother, who grew up on a farm and gardened well into her 80’s. A nurturer by nature, Gloria loves to attract birds and butterflies to her garden, tend to her pond, care for her shade and wildflower gardens, and assist her neighbors and customers with their gardening questions and concerns. Gloria is also an amateur photographer; she especially loves training her lens on landscapes and plants.

A fourth generation Green family Primex ownership, Katelyn has grown up at Primex.  Our greenhouse is a spectacular reflection of our staff’s ability to select, purchase, maintain, and display a vast variety of tropicals, orchids, cactus, tillandsias, and annuals. Katelyn is also a manager of the Winter Famers Market that runs at Primex from late November through February. In her free time she loves to destress in her basement ceramics studio with her favorite music and throw functional pottery on her wheel. When at work she loves to use her creativity to make mixed containers of annuals, terrariums, and wreaths during the holiday season. She enjoys spending time with her husband,  two boys and rescue dog. “I love working with my family and sharing my knowledge and passion for plants with others. Primex is and will always be my second home.”

Janet joined Primex in 2009 and has been growing with Primex ever since.  Janet started out as a Greenhouse Sales/Cashier Associate and has learned plenty on her way up to Manager of the Greenhouse.   Janet has an Associated Degree in Science with over fifteen years’ experience in an administrative office environment.   “Joining Primex in 2009 has been a great experience for me”.  “It’s like being on a roller coaster because every day there is something new to learn and you don’t know what’s coming around the corner.”  Janet and her “Greenhouse Crew” are always there to help so if you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to ask.   When Janet is not at Primex she’s at home with her family, her two daughters Gabrielle and Anastasia and ever faithful friend, Vinny.

Marshall Grew up at Primex. He worked here in the nursery throughout high school and for a year there after. Marshall then went to culinary school and pursued a career in the restaurant industry where he worked in some of the finest restaurants in Philadelphia over the next 15 years. In the spring of 2014 Marshall rejoined the Primex staff in the nursery and fell right back in step.  His passions are deep and varied from talking trees and shrubs to cooking Marshall is more than willing to share his expertise. If you really want to kill some time, find Marshall (usually at the end of a grey hose) and mention that you fish! Whether you have a question about a your plant selection , want a small design laid out for your landscape or are looking for a specific tree or shrub look for Marshall out in our nursery he is happy to help you out!

Bill Craig joined the Primex team in 1990. He is our in-house certified ISA arborist and a member of the international Society of Aboriculture. He previously managed a large estate and gardens for 16 years. He has a BS in biology as well as a certificate in landscape design from the Morris Arboretum. His knowledge of insects and diseases in the landscape is extensive. Feel free to bring him samples to be diagnosed. On the rare day that Bill is not at Primex you can find him walking the Wissahickon trails with his golden retriever Jackson.

Tom realized his passion for horticulture while working with his father on a golf course at the age of 14.  He also realized how much he disliked turf!  Tom found his way to Primex in 1996, during his high school years, while studying horticulture at the Eastern Center for Arts and Technology.  Since he loved school and plants so much, he decided to continue his studies at Delaware Valley University, where he graduated with a B.S. in horticulture.  When he is not working or continuing his studies, you can find Tom at home putzing around in his garden or just relaxing and hanging out with his family.  He is literally “down to earth”, considering he is only 5’4”, and has a great sense of humor.  Tom really enjoys helping beginners get started in gardening, but also likes to learn a few tricks of the trade from the experts (or so called “Know-it-alls”)  Remember, gardening is supposed to be fun and so are the people that work in this industry.

After joining the Primex team in March 2002, Carolyn quickly made a niche for herself in the annual and perennial departments of our nursery. Carolyn loves creating our beautiful displays of annuals. She has many years of experience in the garden center industry and completed the Phila. County Master Gardener’s Program, where her final project was “Compact Evergreens for the Urban Landscape.”  Carolyn also created Butterfly Life Cycle and Habitat posters for their Pollinator Garden at the Horticulture Center.  Carolyn enjoys answering questions on pollinator gardening and has given talks on that topic.   In her community Carolyn has helped develop and draft a site plan for the Tioga-Hope Garden of which she is a member.

Dawn joined Primex in the spring of 2012 with an A.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture  from Temple University. She has completed numerous continuous education classes  from the Morris Arboretum.  You can find her in our perennial greenhouse primarily, but she loves helping customers with trees,shrubs, fruits, vegetables and all their horticultural needs . When not at Primex she loves spending time with her three grandsons,three dogs, and three cats.

After working in the IT field programming computers for 14 years, Nick began working as the Office Manager at Meadowbrook Farm from 2000-2002. It was there that he developed a strong interest in horticulture. While reading and doing everything he could to learn about the care and culture of perennials, Nick discovered a hidden passion for Japanese maples and shade perennials. Nick has been with Primex since 2008 and he is our resident expert on Japanese maples, hostas, hardy succulents, and woodland perennials. When Nick isn’t working, he can be found at home with wife and 2 kids searching for more room for his ridiculously large collection of books and records.

Tom started with Primex in 1999 as a part-time warehouse employee and soon became an invaluable full-time staff member. Tom’s responsibilities as a Warehouse Manager include computer operations, ordering products, and keeping the machinery updated. When he’s not in the warehouse, Tom spends every second he can with his daughter, Morgan Elizabeth. Tom also enjoys rooting for the Phillies and the Flyers.

If you’ve ever received a delivery of mulch or topsoil from Primex, chances are good that you’ve already experienced Carlos’ accuracy in dropping your order just where you want it. When he’s not on a delivery, you’ll find him loading your car or behind the counter assisting you with selecting merchandise.

Primex is pleased to have Javan on our team. A full time warehouse employee Javan also makes deliveries for Primex. He is a hard worker and his quiet pleasant demeanor makes him a joy to work with. In his spare time Javan attends college, he is a business major.

Kevin came to us in October of 2007.  He loves working outdoors and we love working with Kevin. He works tirelessly without complaint, is humble, easygoing and cheerful. We are pleased to have him as a vital member of our full time staff.

Liz joined the Primex team in 2011 as full-time bookkeeper.  Since coming to Primex, she has obtained certification for the Primex property as a Backyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation and has been instrumental in putting together our Local Artists area in the main store.  Liz has an Associate of Science degree from Peirce College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Chestnut Hill College.  When she’s not crunching numbers in the ‘back’ room, she’s tending to her own garden which is predominately native, drought-resistant plants.  She wants to be an artist when she grows up.

Jennifer joined the Primex team in February 2016 as our Marketing Communications Specialist. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts in web design and a minor in graphic design from Arcadia University. She is an avid nature photographer and graphic designer. When she isn’t tied to her desk making signs or our weekly email, you can usually find her climbing up a rock wall, camping or leading Cheltenham Cub Scout Pack 22.