Leading horticultural supplier, Grochem Australia, has positioned its business for further growth, following the appointment of Orville Hildebrand and Linda Simsek to new roles.
Mr. Hildebrand is now in charge of R&D and technical work as well as sales manager in South Australia, while Ms. Simsek is client relationship manager looking after customers and suppliers both in Australia and overseas.
They bring deep experience in working with rural customers and suppliers over more than four decades.
Mr. Hildebrand is well known in rural circles, particularly in South Australia, where he has enjoyed a 30-year career in research and development, agronomy, plant nutrition, and crop protection.
Before joining Grochem as R&D Manager earlier this year, Mr. Hildebrand managed research trials across the state for contract research organisations, Peracto and Staphyt Pty Ltd, for four years.
This work involved managing trials to support new product registrations, technical information, and establishing maximum residue limits in food, on behalf of supplier clients.
Prior to this, Mr. Hildebrand worked extensively with growers involved in horticulture, dairying, and broadacre farming on the Fleurieu Peninsula as a senior sales agronomist with farm services business, FPAG, for five years.
“I am delighted to be working with Ben Coombe and the Grochem team to expand the company’s range of innovative solutions for growers including their newest product, Soleto herbicide for use in potatoes,” he said.
“After managing the field trials for this product in my previous role, I can confidently recommend Soleto because its new active ingredient will assist in combating herbicide resistance and improve crop safety, particularly in metribuzin-sensitive varieties.
“Potato growers will welcome this new pre-emergent herbicide for its ability to control a wide range of annual broadleaved weeds and annual grasses.”
Grochem’s Dealer customers are already enjoying working with Linda Simsek, who also has a multi-faceted role in looking after customers in both domestic and export markets as well as suppliers and purchasing.
Her eye for detail in key areas such as procurement, stock management, and supply chain management is proving invaluable at Grochem.
Ms. Simsek brings experience from various industries including farm chemicals, food processing, and textiles to her new role.
At Nufarm, she worked in industrial and third-party sales as well as purchasing for more than10 years. Most recently, she worked for the food processor, Turosi Pty Ltd, looking after the purchasing of all dry ingredients and packaging for the company’s food products.
“It is great to be working as part of a small team at Grochem where everyone makes such a big difference every day,” she said.