Page 48 - Free State Winter 2021

FERENC KISS
Employee development ranks at
the top of the most important tasks
and communication is the key, he says.
Ferenc and his business partner Taylor
Pilker have created a company culture
that revolves around openness.
“You must communicate with your
employees, which can be hard some-
times,” Ferenc says. “Never forget to
talk about the successes, failures and
challenges [within the business].” have some real ideas on how to improve
His principal goal is to get feedback
from all employees, even when it means
breaking through someone’s shyness or
fear of speaking out. step. Companies from small to large use
28 | 2021 HORTICULTURAL INDUSTRIES LEADERSHIP AWARDS
48 WINTER 2021 • Free State News
CAVANO’S PERENNIALS
Talk isn’t always about the processes. taught me to push myself to become bet- heaven,” Ferenc says. “Without Richard, I
Ferenc relishes the chance to introduce his ter and pass on what I know to the next would not be here today owning Cavano’s.
employees to other business owners and generation of growers.” Richard opened the door for many profes-
luminaries of the industry. From the fall of 1989 until the summer sionals. He brought over Kurt Bluemel
“I want to open their eyes and encour- of 1990, Ferenc worked for Blooms of from Europe, who then stayed in the
age them. Sometimes you have to push Bressingham in England at a job that would United States. Kurt started his own nurs-
them a little to learn more. I want to give link him to his future in the United States. ery and became a springboard for many
people opportunities. I’m so proud when “I rented a room in a house owned by a future nurserywomen and nurserymen, as
I can say, ‘He was an order puller and now couple named Sam and Joyce who regular- well. But in the end, it was Richard who
he’s a nursery manager.’” ly rented out rooms to interns working for started the whole process, for which I am
It’s important to Ferenc to create Blooms of Bressingham,” Ferenc explains. forever grateful.”
growth opportunities for his employees. “Sam and Joyce kept a photo album of After his first internship with Blue-
Operating from two locations, Cavano’s is a “We are unlike a lot of companies out the interns that stayed with them. They mount Nurseries, Ferenc “went on a
thriving nursery with more than 50 employees, there and our average employee age is showed me a picture of a young American walkabout” for about nine months. He
growing more than 1,100 varieties of plants.
shrinking,” says co-owner Taylor. “We’re woman, which turned out to be Martha travelled to Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji
committed to helping them grow in the Simon, the daughter of Richard Simon, and New Zealand. He was 23 and had
business, and Ferenc was instrumental in whom I’d intern with later.” never travelled alone.
creating that culture. It’s important to him During 1991-1992 and again in 1994- “I met so many amazing backpack-
to push for education and help shape the 1995, Ferenc was an intern at Bluemount ers and learned quickly that travelling by
development of the staff.” Nurseries in Monkton, Maryland, a yourself can be very tricky. You have no
company he found with the help of the one but yourself to rely on. When you get
Creating bonds Perennial Plant Association. It was there sick, which I did, there are no parents or
That desire to nurture was born from his he met his other mentor, Richard Simon. friends there to help you. You grow up fast
three-year horticulture apprenticeship in “Richard showed me the passion and and realize quickly that you have to make
his birthplace of Switzerland. Just shy of beauty of perennials from a more artistic it,” he says.
his 16 birthday, Ferenc began study- perspective. We spoke a lot about plants, He’s been able to use lessons learned
th
ing under a master horticulturist, Gert and he took me to some special loca- from his 9-month trip throughout his
Pistorius, at P. Schaer Nursery in Rein- tions to view native plant species. I was in career.
ach, Switzerland. Ferenc spent Monday
through Friday at the 4-acre perennial
nursery getting all the practical experience
of production and propagation, and Satur- Cavano’s sells to garden
days were reserved for trade school. centers, landscape
contractors, re-wholesalers
“It was very hands-on where, after and municipalities throughout
three years, you are not an expert, but you the eastern United States.
learn steps one, two and three and build
from it,” Ferenc recalls. “If you wanted
to be a master, you went to the university
and learned the business aspect of your
trade.”
A few short months after beginning
his apprenticeship, Ferenc told the master
who was training him that he’d like to
own a nursery.
“Little did I know that 30 years later,
on a different continent, in a different
country, my dream would come true,” he
says.
“They are doing the work and they might processes, and the reality is most processes Pistorius was Ferenc’s first mentor – he
are highly inefficient. It is the responsibil- was strict, quiet, frugal and very knowl-
some processes,” he explains. “Getting ity of the leader to recognize inefficiencies edgeable.
feedback is important to me even when and, with the help of the team, improve ALL PHOTOS : MIKE OLLIVER “He gave me a strong foundation of
sometimes it’s a suggestion that’s just a baby the processes. And that requires excellent how to propagate perennials and to never
communication.” stop learning,” Ferenc recalls. “He also
2021 HORTICULTURAL INDUSTRIES LEADERSHIP AWARDS | 29