Landscape Illinois Celebrates Supplier of the Year Award Winner
DeVroomen Garden Products by Nina A. Koziol
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hen 30-year-old Jacobus Theodorus de Vroomen of Scandinavia started a business in 1925, he was a one-man show. Now, more than a century later, the business is a stalwart in the industry shipping more than six million bulbs, tubers and rhizomes and other goodies to landscapers, retailers, public gardens, and municipal airports. This year, Landscape Illinois celebrates the firm with the Supplier of the Year award. “DeVroomen has been a trusted, local partner for years,” said Landscape Illinois president Kim Hartmann. “DeVroomen just celebrated its 100th year and has supported Landscape Illinois since the beginning.” The Supplier of the Year Award recognizes DeVroomen for several things including its achievements and contributions to the industry as a whole. Angela Schultz joined DeVroomen 19 years ago as a receptionist, worked customer service, and is now the general manager. “This award is so exciting. I heard the news from Jack DeVroomen. It touched my heart when Jack spoke on a video call and he was teary eyed. We were very surprised and we’re all very excited.” “Over my 25-plus years in the industry as both a landscape architect and an account manager, I’ve regularly 12
specified bulbs from DeVroomen,” said Brian Fluno, director of business development at JMR Landscaping. “Their products consistently perform well, and I’ve been especially impressed with the unique and reliable tulip blends they offer.” In recent years, DeVroomen launched a new, one-of-a-kind product line for children, bringing together Sesame Street characters with a mission to educate the next generation about gardening, sustainability and the wonders of nature. A Sesame Street-themed “Seed Paper Confetti Packet” uses biodegradable paper containing wildflower seeds, encouraging hands-on gardening fun. “We’re trying to get the kids excited and aware of the environment,” Schultz explained. “The collection’s products were created to help spread and celebrate an awareness and an enthusiasm for the environment. Right now we have the new 2026 Sesame Street line with dahlias, begonias, and bare-root astilbes for the garden centers.” Many DeVroomen customers are unaware that the firm services the entire U.S. “People think we shut down when the cold comes, but there’s a lot more going on than you might realize. If we’re shipping to California and the shipment is sitting in Utah where it’s freezing, I have to reroute.” Bulbs are pre-cooled, which is especially helpful when they’re going to southern states like Texas. A premiere wholesale supplier of spring and summer flower-
Landscape Illinois Magazine January 2026