Fall / Winter 2021

I
’d like to start off by
wishing you an incredible
holiday season! This
year has been marked
with change and growth for us at Green Dynamix,
all of which we are so grateful for. We’ve changed our company
name, expanded into Landscape Supplies and are more committed to
our Core Values than ever before. We hope you see added value through
these changes and that we can strengthen our relationship with you, our
customer – The Boss!
Personally, I’ve experienced a few changes this year. My second
oldest daughter is attending college at Florida State University. As with
all 3 of my children, I always encourage them to go out, crush it and
never let anyone talk them out of their dreams! Another milestone for
me this year was my son Michael turning 18. I know he’ll accomplish
anything he sets his mind to! I would be lying if I said these weren’t
both proud and bitter- sweet moments for me in 2021.
Back to business
– At our Lake City
Office, we’re in the
process of building a
brand-new warehouse
to hold more products
in bulk supply.
When we first built
that office in 2016,
we thought we had
plenty of room.
Sometimes it’s
good to be wrong!
I’ve always believed
if we aren’t
growing, moving,
expanding in
work and in life,
then we need to
rethink our process.
Part of our
growth is refining our processes and our Logistics
Operations Manager, Josh Carter, has been
hard at work finding ways to increase our freight
options and streamline our deliveries. On the
sales side of things, Sherman Gentry has come
aboard as an Account Executive, serving our
amazing customers in the Panhandle and North
Florida. Previously in Inside Sales, Mariela Caballero
has moved to Account Executive for our
Central and South Florida customers. They both
exemplify what it means to have “Customer Obsession”,
one of our Core Values, and I would love
for you to read more about them on pages 6 and 7.
We had our quarterly company meeting recently
and we set some new goals. These meetings
are 100% business but because we have such a
great team, sometimes they feel more like a family
reunion where we get to align our goals and
inspire each other. We always try to include some
team building exercises and that’s such
a treat for all of us. For this meeting,
we took a break to play volleyball,
which you see a photo of on page 7 as
well. I’m thankful for our customers
and our team that takes care of their
needs. We always want to know how
we can better serve you and be an
ally. We all look forward to having
more of those conversations as we
enter 2022!
Cheers!

ephant encampment
where he was welcomed
warmly and
invited to stay to rest
from his long journey.
The trainer of the camp
offered him a tour
when he noticed none
of the elephants were
chained or caged. In fact, all the elephants
from the smallest to the largest, were held by
nothing more than a single rope tied to one of
their legs. The ropes were held by an average
looking stake in the ground. These strong
massive creatures could easily
break their bonds and have
their freedom. Why were they
not escaping? Completely
confused, the traveler
inquired of his tour
guide.
The el-
was recently in
I our Lake City office
and overheard
one of our awesome
team members talking
about how much her
3-year-old son loves
anything and everything
to do with elephants. It reminded
me of an inspiring old tale I
believe is worth retelling to you, so here
goes!
Whether this fable came from
very ancient times or
a travelling
circus
troupe is unknown, but the
moral remains the same. Elephant training
dates back approximately 4,000 years and
is well documented. I find that incredible! They
were used for work purposes, transportation, in
war and in circuses for entertainment. Our story
is found in a particular method.
A lone traveler happened across a large el-
ephant
trainer explained,
“We
begin their training
when they are still
small enough that
they cannot break
the rope. As they grow up,
we use the same size rope and they continue
to believe it can still hold them, so they
never try to break free. In their minds, it’s impossible
to break because we conditioned them
to believe that.”
What we believe about ourselves and what we
see as limitations in our minds can hold us back
unnecessarily! If we reset our thinking,
we might discover our limitations
are really nothing more than
tall tales. What’s holding you back?

Love it or hate it, pumpkin spice
and everything nice season is
in full swing and its been a topic of
discussion lately around our office.
If you are not a fan of all the pumpkin
treats, you might have asked
WHY people love pumpkin (and yes,
pumpkin spice) so much? Let’s look
at the psychology behind the pumpkin
craze and the rumors circulating
about a national pumpkin shortage
this season.
Its notable to start with a few
facts: no ingredient in the pumpkin
spice blend is seasonal to fall; they
all hail from tropical plants! Cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves and ginger are
the big 4 but some blends include
all spice, cardamom and even lemon
peel. Also, there is no actual pumpkin
in pumpkin spice. So why are people
obsessed with it? Elementary, dear
readers – nostalgia! It is all in our
brains.
According to an article by Rachael
Ross published by LiveScience.com,
if you love pumpkin treats, its most
likely the scent of the spice blend that
triggers the excitement. We associate
the smell with the coming of fall
holidays, warm memories and sugary
satisfaction. The article goes on to
explain that smell is the only one of
our senses that is directly transmitted
to the amygdala, the emotional center
of our brains, and can instantly take
us back to a place, time or feeling.
Throw in some clever marketing and
the excitement of the change of season
and you have the perfect recipe
for pumpkin mania from September
to the new year.
Now, what would happen if there
is a national pumpkin shortage this

season? Would pumpkin
lovers give up the obsession?
Many reports state
this is a “somewhat”
false alarm and if we
experience a shortage,
it is due to 3 main factors
– pumpkin blight,
shipping challenges
and extreme weather.
Anyone in the
Green Industry can
relate to these troubles
here in the
southeast region!
Much like pumpkin
spice lattes,
the shortage
was hyped up
and not as dire
as some articles
might
lead you
to believe.
Depending
on what
part of the country you live
in, pumpkins for Halloween Jack-O-
Lanterns might have been difficult to
find as the holiday approached. Now
the concern is canned pumpkin with
Thanksgiving on the way.
A quick Google search will inform
you 90% of our pumpkins for processing
are grown within an 80 mile
radius of Peoria, Illinois and there is a
pumpkin processing plant ten minutes
away
in Morton,
Illinois for Libby’s® brand
canned pumpkin, the most popular
in the U.S. While the news is mixed
on the severity of the Great Pumpkin
Shortage of 2021, the key takeaway
is to buy your canned pumpkin earlier
rather than closer to the holidays,
just to be on the safe side!

Sherman Gentry joined Green Dynamix in August
of 2021 as an Account Executive, primarily
serving customers in the Panhandle and North
Florida. He has been surrounded by the landscape
industry for many years in different aspects and
with his dedication to honesty and integrity, he
lives out our Core Values as a company, especially
“Customer Obsession”! Originally from Lake
City, FL, Sherman worked locally as an Operations
Technician and then received an offer to
move to Pennsylvania as a Field Service Engineer. Now that he is back in Florida, he is
diving into his passion for the Green Industry. He enjoys going to the beach and pool with
his family in his free time. He and his wife have two boys, age 6 and 2. We are thrilled to
have Sherman on the Green Dynamix team!
Hannah Vasily joined the Green Dynamix team
in August of 2021 when our company’s Core
Values caught her attention. Her personal passion
involves all things customer service and she wanted
to focus in on that passion daily in a team-player
environment. Her goal is to make an important impact
towards customer satisfaction while continuing
to grow her own personal skillset. Hannah is
part of our Inside Sales team and brings a level of
excitement and efficiency through her role in helping
to increase productivity and provide support to
both our team members and our customers. Originally
from Peachtree City, Georgia, she has spent
the last few years moving around the Southeast with her family. Currently, they have
landed back in the great state of Georgia. She attended the University of West Georgia
where she studied both Marketing and Business. She previously worked for a landscape
supply company and has a great deal of customer service experience that allows her to
blend her acquired skills towards her current role with Green Dynamix. Hannah is a
mother of 3 little boys and she and her husband, Avery, have been married nearly 5
years. In her spare time, her interests include photography, hiking and all things
women’s/family health related. We are excited to have Hannah on our team!

W
hile Mariela is not a new face with Green Dynamix,
she recently became an Account Executive
for both our Central and South Florida customers. She
joined the team in May of 2020 and over the course of this
year, Mariela has truly exemplified our first Core Value
as a company, Continually Improving! We wanted to recognize
her commitment to excellent customer
service and reintroduce her under her new title.
Originally, she came on board as Operations
Support. She then moved to our Inside
Sales team and took on the responsibility of
serving our South Florida customers. Her previous
experience with us, enthusiasm for the
Green Industry and drive to connect with customers
to better meet their needs makes her a
great fit to serve both our Central and South
Florida customers. Read her full bio and others
on our website’s “Meet Our
Team” page!

festive bloomer during the holidays, ‘Yuletide’
is a beautiful camellia option for your
A
landscapes with masses of rich red single flowers
and bright yellow
stamens. Its an evergreen,
compact shrub
that typically blooms
from late autumn
through the winter season.
It can reach 8-10
ft tall at full maturity
but can be shaped
through pruning, which
should be done after
its flowering season is
over. Contrary to some
myths, camellias are
not difficult to care for.
The key is to choose
the right spot! They
require part to mostly
shade and thrive in moist but
well-drained rich acidic soils.
Providing them some shelter
from harsh winds and direct afternoon
sunlight is ideal. When
planting, using a root mulch is
recommended and fertilizing
should be done in the spring or
at least 2 months before the first
frost. Looking for ‘Yuletides’ for
your next project? We have 3, 7
and 15 Gallon options available
TODAY!