CEO

As the company’s founder and chief executive, Craig has been instrumental in developing the company’s mission, culture and values. His experience and involvement with outside board memberships in other industries has allowed him to bring innovative ideas and management approaches to Ruppert Nurseries. He has been with Ruppert since its inception in 1976.

President

A Second-Generation Ruppert, Sophie joins the company after nearly a decade spent building Sophie Felts Floral Design, recognized by Florist Review as one of the top 50 wedding floral businesses in North America. Sophie brings a creative approach as this beloved family nursery grows into the next generation. She lives on the farm with her husband, Mike, and four kids.

General Manager & Tree Moving Sales

Kelly’s responsibilities include oversight of the day to day operations and long term planning activities for Ruppert Nurseries. With a particular emphasis on team building and personnel growth and development. Kelly started with Ruppert Nurseries in 1994. He is a Certified Professional Horticulturalist and has a Texas A&M Certificate of applied business management.

klewis@ruppertnurseries.com

Sales Representative

She is responsible for maintaining customer relations, sales and marketing initiatives in the Mid-Atlantic. Ronda has been with Ruppert since 2013 and has a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science from Pennsylvania State University with a minor in Horticulture. Ronda is a Certified Professional Horticulturalist and an ISA Certified Arborist.

RRoemmelt@Ruppertnurseries.com

Sales Representative

Jim has been involved with the landscape industry for over 25 years and has over 20 years of experience specifically in nursery sales. He has been servicing clients in the New England market for over 15 years and with Ruppert Nurseries since 2008. He holds a bachelors degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Temple University and BS in Accounting from Clarion University of PA.

JDavenport@Ruppertnurseries.com

Director of Marketing & Sales

Kelly has been with Ruppert since 2022 and is responsible for in-house sales. She helps our local customers with orders, tagging trips and pictures. Kelly is originally from Mexico and fluent in Spanish, which allows her to facilitate communication between our Latinx crew and the rest of the team. She has previous experience with marketing and photography in the agricultural business.

KGarcia@Ruppertnurseries.com

Administrate Production Assistant

Ashley has been with Ruppert since 2013 and she has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Ashley is a Certified Professional Horticulturalist with a professional background in Urban Forestry and Organic Farming. As the Admin Production Assistant, Ashley assists with inventory management and sales reporting, in addition to social media and marketing.

AMiles@Ruppertnurseries.com

Nursery Maintenance Manager

Nick oversees production and farm maintenance at Ruppert Nurseries. He has been with Ruppert since 2006 and has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Landscape Horticulture with a minor in Agricultural Business and Entomology. Nick is also a Certified Professional Horticulturist.

NGraves@Ruppertnurseries.com

Farm Production Supervisor

Alex has been with Ruppert Nurseries since 2005. Alex is a skilled machine operator, especially when it comes to tree spades! Over his many years with Ruppert, Alex has worked his way up from being a Crewman to a Farm Production Supervisor. Alex leads our digging crew and often assists with loading.

ASolano@Ruppertnurseries.com

Farm Production Supervisor

Wilfredys has been with Ruppert Nurseries since 2002. Wilfredys started as a Crewman and has worked his way up to being a Farm Production Supervisor. Wilfredys is often one of the first people to welcome you when you arrive to pick-up your trees. He is fluent in both English and Spanish. Wilfredys leads our loading crew and he is also skilled at pruning our trees.

Head Grower

In James’ role as the Grower, he is responsible for liner planting, pruning, irrigation, turf maintenance, and managing our cover crops which are planted throughout the farm. James says the favorite parts of his job are the variety each day provides as well as his time he gets to spend working with the nursery K-9 crew. James is a graduate of Salisbury University with a degree in Environmental Science with minors in Biology and Sustainable Agriculture.

JGuernieri@ruppertnurseries.com

Controller

Casey is responsible for all things related to finances and accounting. Casey has been with Ruppert since 2016. She has a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management and Rural Development with a minor in Environmental Economics from West Virginia University. Casey is also the safety representative for the company’s safety program.

CCustodio@Ruppertnurseries.com

Tree Moving

In his role as senior supervisor, Tyler leads up a team which specializes in on-site large tree transplanting and installation. Tyler has experience in craning, boxing and transplanting big trees. Tyler started with Ruppert Nurseries in 2012 and has worked his way up from crewman to Senior Supervisor. Tyler is an ISA Certified Arborist.

TAnderson@ruppertnurseries.com

Operations Manager, Tree Moving Division

In his role as operations manager, Howie oversees the day to day production, staffing and scheduling needs of the tree moving division. Howie comes to Ruppert Nurseries with a wealth of knowledge in moving large trees. Prior to Ruppert Nurseries, Howie owned his own landscape business for many years and even dabbled a bit in the mortgage business.

HBurrill@ruppertnurseries.com

Office Manager/Bookkeeper

Shelly has been an accounts payable manager for 22 years and worked in accounting for four years before starting a Ruppert nurseries. Her current role as office manager / bookkeeper includes accounts payable, accounts receivables, and making sure we have everything we need to keep our office running smoothly.

SMingone@ruppertnurseries.com

Shop Manager

Nate’s position as resident mechanic consists on maintaining, fabricating, and repairing company vehicles and equipment. He is our in-house problem solver for anything mechanical and has been with Ruppert Nurseries since 2020. Nate started learning about cars and machines as a hobby that rapidly developed into a career.

NPetrohilos@ruppertnurseries.com

Administrative Assistant

Alexia is the Administrative Assistant at Ruppert Nurseries, where she manages schedules, processes orders, maintains records, and assists clients with their inquiries. Known for her positive attitude and dedication to serving others, she ensures smooth operations and excellent service while providing a fresh perspective and growing with the team. Outside of work, Alexia enjoys trying new foods and exploring new places with her daughter, her greatest inspiration. These shared adventures fuel her creativity, enhancing her passion for her role at Ruppert Nurseries.

IT Administrator | Sales Support |

As an IT Administrator at Ruppert Nurseries, I manage and maintain the technology systems that support our day-to-day operations, ensuring seamless integration of hardware and software for a smooth-running environment.

Beyond my technical expertise, I am passionate about the outdoors and enjoy working on the farm, learning about tree care, and contributing to sustainable practices. In my free time, I love building custom PCs, which allows me to combine my interest in technology with hands-on creativity.