Columbus, OH – AmericanHort is pleased to announce the 2019 inductees to the Interior Plantscape Hall of Fame – Rich Batcho, CLT, of Batch-O-Blooms, and Steve Decker and Phil Feinman of Architectural Supplements (ASI). The AmericanHort Interior Plantscape Hall of Fame honors individuals of integrity whose personal dedication provides great leadership in the development and growth of the interior plantscape industry. Individuals nominated must have contributed a minimum of 15 years to the development and permanent betterment of the interiorscape industry.
The lifetime achievements of Rich Batcho, Steve Decker and Phil Feinman will be honored during the Plantscape Awards Celebration held on the evening of Sunday, July 14, during the Cultivate’19 trade show and conference, where they will be inducted into the Interior Plantscape Hall of Fame.
Rich Batcho, CLT, of Batch-O-Blooms, is an interior Plantscape industry figure who is best known for promoting industry education throughout the country via AmericanHort, ALCA/PLANET/NALP, PIA and TPIE, and he was instrumental in the genesis of the Mid-Atlantic Interior Landscape Committee of Penn State Extension and reviving the Longwood Garden Symposium. His work as the Decorations Chair for eighteen years with Cultivate is widely acknowledged. He is renowned for his educational presentations on Biophilia and is a registered trainer for Green Plants for Green Buildings. As advisor and writer for Interior Business Magazine, Batcho has been featured on HGTV on ColorBowls in the Interiorscape and for his Interior Plantscape display at The Philadelphia Flower Show.
Steve Decker and Phil Feinman have been business partners for 25 years, steering Architectural Supplements (ASI) through various twists and turns and becoming a leading supplier to our industry. The two have done this all together, sharing an office for the entire time, and adhering to some very basic principles such as selling only to the interiorscape industry, not selling to end users, developing new innovative products, providing excellent quality, customer service and marketing support tools, and supporting industry organizations and initiatives. Their core belief has always been that helping the industry will help Architectural Supplements. New products such as NextGen Living Walls and BioMontage Natural Walls, membership in American Hort, NIN, and sponsorship of GPGB initiatives such as Hurricane Relief are some key examples. This approach will continue to be implemented by Steve and Phil as they have no intention of retiring any time soon.
All are encouraged to attend the Awards Celebration and dinner to raise a toast of appreciation to these industry leaders. The Celebration event will also include the presentation and celebration of 50+ winning entries from 15+ companies in the International Plantscape Awards program. Tickets to the Celebration can be purchased at Cultivate19.org/Reg by registering to attend Cultivate. Nominations for the 2020 Interior Plantscape Hall of Fame are currently being accepted. Complete information about the Hall of Fame program may be found at AmericanHort.org/Awards.
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About AmericanHort
Green industry businesses perform better, grow faster and prepare for the future as a member of AmericanHort, the green industry’s leading association. With a rich history of serving horticultural professionals, AmericanHort supports nearly 14,000 member and affiliated businesses that include breeders, greenhouse and nursery growers, garden retailers, distributors, interior and exterior landscape professionals, florists, students, educators, researchers, manufacturers, and all of those who are part of the industry market chain. The horticulture industry’s production, wholesale, retail, and landscape service components have annual sales of $196 billion, and sustain over 1.6 million full- and part-time jobs.
About Cultivate
Cultivate’19 is the national industry event hosted by AmericanHort every July in Columbus, Ohio. This year it is held July 13-16. Cultivate owns the niche for gathering the entire industry supply chain in one place for four days of professional development and robust business opportunities with its 650+ exhibitor trade show, 150+ educational sessions, and plentiful networking opportunities.
