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The horticulture industry extends far beyond growing plants. Behind every successful nursery, greenhouse, and garden center is a network of manufacturers, suppliers, and professionals helping bring their products to market.
CREO Group is one of those companies. As a leading manufacturer of horticultural containers and growing systems, CERO supports growers throughout North America while creating career opportunities across manufacturing, engineering, sales, supply chain, customer service, and other business functions.
AgHires Content Lead Lila Huelster recently spoke with Michael Keaney, VP of Sales, Horticulture at CREO Group. Their conversation explored CREO's role in the industry, the wide range of careers available within horticulture manufacturing, and advice for professionals interested in building a career in the industry.
Can you provide an overview of CREO Group and the role your company plays in the horticulture industry?
CREO Group is one of North America's leading manufacturers of horticultural containers and growing systems serving the nursery, greenhouse, cannabis, and controlled environment agriculture markets. We manufacture a broad portfolio of blow-molded and thermoformed products that help growers produce, transport, display, and sell plants efficiently.
Our customers range from independent family-owned nurseries to many of the largest commercial growers and distributors in North America. Our focus is delivering high-quality products, dependable supply, and innovative solutions that help our customers improve productivity while reducing costs.
For job seekers who may not be familiar with horticulture manufacturing, how do CREO's products support growers, nurseries, and greenhouse operations?
Every plant you purchase at a garden center likely spent months growing inside one of our products.
Our containers, trays, hanging baskets, propagation systems, and custom-printed programs support growers throughout the entire production cycle. These products influence everything from greenhouse efficiency and irrigation to transportation, merchandising, and ultimately the consumer buying experience.
While many people never think about the container itself, it plays a critical role in helping growers operate more efficiently and profitably.
What makes CREO Group different from other companies serving the horticulture market?
Our competitive advantage starts with our people and our customer relationships.
We work closely with growers to understand their operations and develop solutions that improve efficiency, quality, and profitability. We also manufacture across multiple facilities in North America, giving us the ability to support customers with reliable production capacity and responsive service.
Our goal is not simply to sell containers. We strive to become a strategic business partner for our customers.
What types of roles exist at CREO that people may not immediately associate with horticulture?
Many people immediately think of manufacturing operators, but our business offers a much broader range of careers.
Opportunities can include:
- Sales and business development
- Customer service
- Supply chain and logistics
- Production planning
- Engineering
- Tool and mold design
- Maintenance and automation
- Product management
- Marketing
- Procurement
- Finance
- Human resources
- Quality assurance
- Environmental and sustainability initiatives
It truly takes every discipline to keep our business operating successfully.
What entry-level opportunities are available for someone interested in starting a career with CREO?
We regularly hire entry-level employees in manufacturing, warehouse operations, customer service, production support, and maintenance.
Many of our leaders began their careers on the production floor or in operational roles and advanced into leadership positions through hard work, continuous learning, and a willingness to take on new challenges. We believe in promoting talent from within whenever possible.
Are there skills, certifications, degrees, or past experiences that are especially helpful for candidates interested in working at CREO?
The requirements depend on the position, but there are several qualities we consistently value: a strong work ethic, reliability, problem-solving ability, teamwork, communication skills, and a continuous learning mindset.
Mechanical aptitude is valuable for manufacturing roles, while business acumen is important for commercial positions. Although certain technical positions require specialized education or certifications, attitude and willingness to learn often matter just as much as prior experience.
What roles or skill sets are currently in the highest demand at CREO Group?
Like many manufacturers, we're always looking for talented individuals in manufacturing operations, maintenance, engineering, supply chain, customer service, and commercial sales.
People who combine technical knowledge with strong communication and problem-solving skills are especially valuable because they help bridge the gap between operations and customer needs.
What makes a candidate stand out to your hiring team?
We look for people who demonstrate initiative, accountability, curiosity, and a genuine desire to improve.
Technical skills are important, but we also value candidates who collaborate well, embrace change, communicate effectively, and consistently look for better ways to solve problems. Those qualities often predict long-term success more than experience alone.
What trends or hiring challenges are you seeing in the talent market for horticulture, manufacturing, and greenhouse supply roles?
Manufacturers continue to compete aggressively for skilled talent across engineering, maintenance, automation, and technical production roles.
We're also seeing increased demand for employees who are comfortable working with technology, data, and increasingly automated manufacturing environments.
The industry offers tremendous long-term career opportunities, but many job seekers simply aren't aware of the breadth of careers available within horticulture manufacturing.
How would you describe CREO's workplace culture and what type of person tends to thrive there?
The people who thrive at CREO enjoy solving problems, working collaboratively, and making an impact.
Manufacturing is a fast-paced environment where every day presents new opportunities to improve processes, better serve customers, and work across multiple departments.
Individuals who are adaptable, customer-focused, accountable, and committed to continuous improvement tend to be the most successful.
What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing a career in horticulture, greenhouse supplies, or agricultural manufacturing?
Don't overlook this industry because you think it's only about plants. Modern horticulture combines advanced manufacturing, engineering, automation, logistics, sales, product development, sustainability, and technology. There are opportunities for people with many different backgrounds and skill sets.
Find a company where you can continue learning, ask questions, seek mentors, and be willing to grow your career one opportunity at a time. The people who stay curious and continue developing their skills often build long and rewarding careers in this industry.
Careers That Help Horticulture Grow
As horticulture continues to evolve through innovation, automation, and sustainability initiatives, companies like CREO Group are creating career opportunities well beyond the greenhouse.
Whether your background is in engineering, manufacturing, sales, logistics, customer service, or business operations, the industry offers numerous pathways for professional growth. For those willing to stay curious, embrace new challenges, and continuously learn, horticulture manufacturing can provide a rewarding and impactful career.
Interested in learning more about CREO Group or exploring career opportunities with the company? Visit CREO Group's Careers page for current openings.
Explore additional opportunities across horticulture, manufacturing, agriculture, and the food supply chain at AgHires.com.
