You don’t get conventional thinking at Berger. You get access to a breadth of expertise few can match.
Berger’s technical team members are conducting groundbreaking work in growing mixes to achieve unmatched results in the field. Our success in helping customers achieve better production time and higher crop yields is underpinned by a commitment to scientific excellence and decades of experience in providing consistently high-quality growing mixes.
Learn more about the team who has made Berger the authority in growing mixes:
Pierre-Marc de Champlain graduated from the University of Sherbrooke with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnological Engineering, developing an integrated knowledge of biological sciences. Thanks to the university’s revolutionary practices in cooperative training and problem-based learning, Mr. de Champlain is attuned to the fast-paced evolutions in the industry and how suppliers are applying them in the field.
Prior to working at Berger, Mr. de Champlain worked at Lang 2000, working to improve practices in the treatment of polluted water. Before Lang 2000, he worked in the Université de Sherbrooke’s Biology Department, performing soil ecology research. He began his career as a research assistant at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Food Research and Development Center, performing work to help preserve food quality and ensure safe food processing.
Mr. de Champlain considers Berger’s horticultural niche extremely captivating; its direct impact in the field enables him to use his extensive background in research to the benefit of growers worldwide.
Kevin Cooper has a B.S. Degree in Horticulture from Mississippi State University, and over 30 years of hands- on experience in the horticulture industry. Kevin’s broad knowledge has been acquired through his impressive career path. He notably held the positions of head grower, greenhouse owner, plant and seed brokerage, wholesale distributor sales representative, manufacturer sales representative, soilless media sales representative, horticultural purchasing manager, and technical grower advisor. Kevin’s extensive knowledge of growing media and horticultural crops gives him a unique set of skills to help today's nursery and greenhouse managers.
John Bergman grew up in a small family greenhouse business in southern Minnesota. This is where he developed his passion for the horticultural industry. After completing Horticultural school, John and his wife operated their family business for several years.
John has been a grower manager for over 30 years. He was been employed by some of the largest innovative breeding companies in North America. He has extensive experience growing a broad range of crops in a wide range of greenhouse and field environments. John developed his strong problems solving skills growing ornamental crops through the entire crop production phases, with experience in seed germination, cutting propagation, elite stock maintenance, and finishing crops in both greenhouse and field. John has learned to operate in the production and R&D environments to meet and exceed his customer expectations.
John as a Grower Advisor is looking to use his growing experience to partner with the Berger customers to help them grow high quality crops profitably.
Harold Sagastume, Agricultural Engineer with a specialty in Agricultural Production Systems with a Master's Degree in Industrial and Service Business Administration, graduated from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala. He began his work in the production of vegetables, fruit trees, productive infrastructure, etc. Later he worked in companies where he developed in sales, development and consulting of products for phytoprotection, fertilizers, irrigation, fumigation equipment, among others.
In 1999 he began the development and introduction of Berger to Guatemala and El Salvador providing advice to seedling producers and nurseries. With the growth of Berger in the area, he was hired to cover the technical-commercial part of Central America and is now a Sales Representative for Latin America. In the last year he has been appointed Sales Representative and Grower Advisor for Latin America and Grower Advisor for Mexico. He considers that the substrate must be a fundamental tool for the producer.
Stacey Rocklin grew up in agriculture between the fields and vineyards of southwest Michigan exploring family farms. Graduating from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Horticulture, she worked as a grower in several commercial greenhouses before finding a home in public horticulture introducing plants to people of many socioeconomic backgrounds. Exploring the science of horticulture has been a career long passion. From there she found herself back at her alma mater, Michigan State University guiding young people through their agricultural education and into careers as coordinator for a two-year partnership program. There Stacey was an advisor, taught horticulture science courses, worked with industry and community partners to create opportunities for young people to start their careers and shared her passion plants. Along the way, she picked up a master’s degree in teaching and learning and focuses on making the science of Ag and horticulture accessible to all industry professionals, no matter their background.
Stacey believes soil and substrates to be the starting point for successful growing and is committed to helping growers do their best with what they have.
Agriculture has always been at the center of Jack Bobo’s interests. In high school, he was actively involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Following his father’s example as a veterinarian, he naturally gravitated toward animal science when he began his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. But a single horticulture course, taken to fulfill a general science requirement, changed his trajectory. Captivated by the complexity and relevance of horticultural science, he realized this was where he wanted to focus his career. He went on to earn a degree in horticulture along with a certificate in enology and viticulture, deepening his interest in wine grape research. Jack continued this work at the University of Georgia while completing a master’s in horticultural science.
Driven by a commitment to sustainable production, he pursued a Ph.D. at NC State University under Dr. Brian Jackson, focusing on the chemistry and phytotoxicity of wood-based substrates as alternatives in growing media.
As an R&D Grower Advisor, Jack Bobo works closely with growers and researchers to support product innovation, troubleshoot challenges, and deliver technical guidance that drives success in the greenhouse and beyond.