Willoway Nurseries in Avon, Ohio, fits both categories. Led by president Tom Demaline, the company isn’t afraid to be ahead of the curve. It often takes risky steps to pioneer new ideas.

His company was one of the first Midwestern nurseries to dedicate large portions of production to pot-in-pot growing. Willoway is also on the forefront of producing tree liners in retractable-roof greenhouses.

Willoway was one the first to join the Novalis group, a cooperative of nurseries nationwide whose goal is to sell branded lines of plants.

These risks have paid big dividends, and Willoway Nurseries is poised for strong continued growth. For taking these actions, Tom was named the 2005 NMPRO Nursery Grower of the Year.