Leading Women of Horticulture: Dana Massey, Plantworks Nursery

In sports, a “Cinderella story” often refers to an underdog team or athlete that achieves unexpected success. For Dana Massey, her Cinderella story is becoming the president and co-owner of Plantworks Nursery.

She’d always dreamed of having something of her own, but after graduating college during a recession, she wondered if the opportunity to achieve that dream would be possible.

Located in Rougemont, North Carolina, Plantworks Nursery was founded in 1978 by Douglas Chapman. It began as a groundcover nursery, and perennials and annuals were added over the years as demand started to increase.

Massey purchased the nursery in 2017, and now the company grows annuals, daylilies, ferns, herbs, hostas, ornamental grasses, tropicals and vines, with a primary focus on perennials. The nursery has five-and-a-half acres of production space, with 172 greenhouses.

Katie McDaniel: How did you get into the nursery business?

Dana Massey: My very first job was at a local farmer’s tomato greenhouse in my hometown. I think I was 14 or 15. My mom was able to drop me off at his farm on the way to her work. I was able to learn about tomato production and work in the greenhouse, and that gave me a real appreciation for watching things grow, learning about the plant, being outdoors and being in the greenhouse.

KM: Did you ever consider another career or industry after that moment?

DM: When I went to college, I briefly went into the landscape design program but decided that was too much desk work, and I still wanted to get my hands dirty. I tried it for a semester and quickly realized that was not going to make me happy. Then upon getting really close to graduation in 2009, in that recession period of '08, '09, I was worried that I wouldn’t find a job, especially in the growing side of the business. So, I was second-guessing myself, but I was lucky enough to land this job before graduating and have been here ever since. So, I call it my Cinderella story — all the pieces lined up with the right people in the right places, all at the right times to pull this thing together. It’s been a great ride and has all fallen into place pretty perfectly over time.

KM: How has your role evolved to your current position now?

DM: I started working part-time around March of 2009 and then came on full-time upon graduation. I was hired as the annual grower and held that position for many years. Then I was asked to move into a management role and be part of the leadership team. The previous owner, Doug Chapman, approached me one day and said, ‘I can’t do this thing forever, so I need an exit strategy, and I think you can do this. What do you think?’

I slept on it for a little bit, talked it over with the husband and then decided to go for it. We had a five-year transition period of where he was still working here, training me all along the way, letting me meet vendors, suppliers and putting me in key relationship conversations with banks, vendors and suppliers to make sure that I was ready to take on not only the plant piece that I had been learning all along, but the business side of things and the finances. He retired in June of 2017, so since July 1, 2017, I have been able to take ownership and build my leadership team to help guide us into the future.

KM: As a successful woman in the horticulture industry, how do you mentor other women?

DM: I think that there are lots of opportunities to do all sorts of things. I’m currently the president of NCLA, which is our state association, so I think finding ways in which to be involved in any type of organization or association is helpful to be able to see that women can have leadership roles in business and in associations and organizations across the state or the country. We have a “women in the green industry” gathering at our annual trade show and conference, and I’ve been the moderator of that event going on five years now — just trying to be present and make sure that event always happens.

I try to be available to answer questions, lead by example, work hard and engage with the industry. It can be easy to get stuck in the weeds of your own business and have your head down, which at certain times of the year is necessary, but I also think that being involved and going to other events, education, association things can get you out there. You never know when those relationships could be a potential new customer or could be someone that you need to call on later to help you answer or solve a question or problem.

KM: Are there any women that you follow or are inspired by?

DM: I enjoy watching friends of mine, family and people that I don’t know. I like to watch them succeed as businesswomen, and they may not be an owner, but just have a really good job that they’re proud of and be a leader in that, especially moms that are killing it as a mom and as a business owner or a leader in an industry. It’s not an easy life to live and to balance all those things sometimes. It’s important to support each other and be proud of each other. I’m proud to see so many successful women do all sorts of things in life; that they can tackle life, bring value to business and leave a reputation that they’re proud of.

KM: Can you describe some of your biggest accomplishments?

DM: Being where I am, being able to have the opportunity to purchase Plantworks and continue that legacy that Doug created. I still wake up some days and don’t believe that it’s true. We’ve continued to grow as a company and make improvements and that’s really important. My husband and I have a son, Everett. We’re super proud of him. He’ll be 9 in April, and he is all boy and into sports and loves everything ball. I’m super proud of his love of hard work. We’re super proud to be his parents and to watch him grow and flourish, and for him to see the hard work that goes into something like this and appreciate that even at such a young age is pretty impressive.

KM: Why should young women pursue horticulture careers?

DM: I love the industry. Everyone is open to share knowledge and experiences; it’s very welcoming. There are opportunities all across the board, and you don’t necessarily have to be a grower. You can be in the industry in all sorts of different ways — sales, teaching, social media and marketing to make sure that the value proposition of plants is well known.

There’s also a really big opportunity for situations like mine to take ownership. There are a lot of folks that are approaching the retirement age that are looking for people to continue their legacies and their businesses. You just have to show your dedication and willingness to learn. Understand that you’re going to have to have some patience. Things don’t happen overnight, but you could potentially be a business owner of your own one day.

It’s been proven many times that being around plants improves your quality of life and just makes you a happier, healthier person, so a career in horticulture can be rewarding in many different ways. The sky’s the limit with where you can go within the industry.