VANCOUVER — GSky Plant Systems, Inc., North America's leading provider of living green walls, announced that James Leider AAF, Chairman and CEO of Leider Horticultural Companies, Inc., a large-scale nursery and plant distributor, has joined GSky's board of directors this Fall.
"Jim brings extraordinary experience and business insights to GSky's board. He has revolutionized the horticultural industry with his dedication to make plants a part of people's everyday lives," says GSky Chairman and CEO, Hal Thorne. "Mr. Leider's passion and dedication for using plants to enhance people's lives parallels GSky's mission," added Thorne.
Mr. Leider has been credited as the person responsible for making green and flowering plants readily available to the American consumer. "GSky's dedication to beautify urban environments with plants is a passion I share, and I am privileged to be involved in the next phase of GSky's growth," says Mr. Leider.
With a career that has spanned over forty years, Mr. Leider received floriculture's highest honor in 2009 with the induction into the Society of American Florists Floriculture Hall of Fame. Since the 1960s, Mr. Leider has advocated floriculture research and promotion. Seizing opportunities when others did not, he saw the opportunity to sell plants in supermarkets when he first entered his family business. Forty years later, 30 percent of all plants are sold at supermarkets. Mr. Leider also recognized the need to soften the severe glass and steel style of contemporary architecture with plants, and pioneered the concept of "interior landscaping." His company, Tropical Plant Rentals, grew to become the nation's largest interiorscaper when it was sold to an international company in 1988.
Committed to advancing the horticultural industry, Mr. Leider has served as Society of American Florists Chairman and President, American Floral Endowment's Chairman, and currently serves as a Chicago Botanic Garden board member. He also serves as a board member of Hortica Insurance, Bachman's, Dickson Corporation, and Kennicott Brothers. A committed leader in the community, he is on the board of the Young Presidents' Organization and the International Chief Executive's Organization, where has also served as President. Mr. Leider attended Northwestern University where he earned a degree in Business Administration and Finances, and a Floriculture degree from Cornell University.
ABOUT GSKY
GSky Plant Systems, Inc. is the leading provider of indoor and outdoor vertical living garden systems in North America. The company's core product is the Green Wall Panel, which features the most sustainable and comprehensive green wall system in the industry. Other products include Green Wall Vine Containers and Green Roofs, and services include green wall consulting, maintenance and remote monitoring. GSky walls can be seen at the Microsoft Envisioning Center, Walt Disney World, Starwood Hotels, PNC Place, Vancouver Aquarium, the Distrikt Hotel, Longwood Gardens, and more.
Visit http://gsky.com for more information.
Source: GSky Plant Systems, Inc.