ULTRA GRO - Key Persons
Alberto has been traveling to Mexico for the last 10 years, steadily establishing a foothold in the Strawberry industry. All of those visits have given Alberto the ability to see vast potential for Ultra Gro products in this marketplace.
Alex joined the Ultra Gro team in January of 2021, with a focus on helping almond and pistachio growers in the Merced County area. An El Nido native, Alex studied Plant Science at Fresno State (Go Dogs!) before joining the ranks at Ultra Gro.
Chase is a Valley native, was a standout baseball player at Bullard High School in Fresno and went on to play ball at San Diego State. He obtained a degree from San Diego State and later on, a second degree from Fresno State. His science background has served him well as he has fast-tracked his knowledge base in Agronomy. Chase was recently married in Spring 2019.
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager
- Partner & Sales Manager Fresno & Stanislaus Counties
Craig is the Sales Manager at Ultra Gro. Based in Madera, Craig is most commonly found in his pickup. He has been at Ultra Gro since 2008 and has a strong Ag background from his 20+ years as a commodity trader working throughout the Valley. Craig's family hails from Firebaugh where his Father and Grandfather have farmed since the 1930's. An avid skier and active family man (six kids…yikes!) Craig lives in Fresno and sits on the Board of the Central Valley Community Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ULTRA GRO SALES TEAM
- Partner & Crop Advisor Fresno, Madera, Merced & Stanislaus Counties
Derek is a native of Chowchilla. This Cal Poly Grad has experience ranging from the cotton ginning business to fertilizer sales. On the roster at Ultra Gro since early 2011, Derek has developed a strong base of business in the North Valley and, with an eye on the future, moved to Oakdale in 2017. He is our main man from Merced to Lodi, with some additional customers in Sac Valley.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ULTRA GRO SALES TEAM
- Partner & Crop Advisor Fresno, Tulare & Kings Counties
Dustin joined the Ultra Gro team in late 2007. He has developed a strong customer base in citrus, almonds, walnuts and grapes. Known for his hard work and can-do attitude, Dustin is extremely likable. This family man is a member of Visalia Rotary and on the Board of Directors of Tulare County Boys and Girls Club.
Greg joined the Ultra Gro family in January of 2020. He is a retired veteran of the United States Army and Coast Guard, primarily working in the operation, preventative maintenance, and repair of electronics ranging from 3D RADAR's to 8 Track players. He says that electronics and plants have a lot in common: they both need the correct inputs for each desired result. Greg resides in Sacramento with his wife Audrey, son Kyle, and daughter Lily. If he is not on the road or hanging with the family, you will find him on the golf course or in the mountains.
Job Titles:
- Partner & Crop Advisor Madera, Merced & Butte Counties
- Plant Nutritonist Mexico
Harold is the "Answer Man" at Ultra Gro. He started his fertilizer career in 1972 in Paso Robles and has worked throughout Northern and Central California ever since. With a strong knowledge base in the strawberry world (not to mention everything else), you might find Harold in the far reaches of Northern California or the fields of Zomora, Mexico. Beyond traveling for business, he and his wife Estelle have a long list of destinations checked off on their bucket list.
Liborio is deeply educated in plant nutrition, and friendly to boot. With his background working for a large multinational plant science company, Liborio leads the Alvita Agro team. He uses Ultra Gro products in several crops, including Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Avocados, Wheat, Corn, Sorghum and Citrus. Liborio and his team cover a lot of ground. They are serving accounts in: Zamora, Jacona, Tanganciquaro, Los Reyes, La Piedad, Penjamillo, Atotonilco and others.
Melanie has been an integral member of the Ultra Gro family for many years. As our office manager, she is the official gatekeeper and truly knows the in's and out's of all things Ultra Gro. Melanie wears many hats and is responsible for all of the billing and bookkeeping functions. When she isn't chasing her grandchildren around, she might be found at a Country-Western Concert.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Sales Support Technician
Don runs all of the operations of the company and works out of the Madera facility. As a longtime veteran of Ultra Gro, he is the glue that makes everything stick. Don grew up in Los Banos, and as a member of the storied Parriera/Cozzi Clans, has plenty of local knowledge. Don graduated from Fresno State and continues to serve his alma mater as past-president of the board of the Ag One Foundation.
Nick started with Ultra Gro in January of 2021, working closely with our Crop Advisors in supporting their efforts. He focuses on helping with injections, pulling soil, tissue, and water samples, and delivering product. Nick attended Fresno State, comes from a family heavily involved in Valley agriculture, and was in the stone fruit industry for 10 years prior to joining Ultra Gro.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ULTRA GRO SALES TEAM
- Partner & Crop Advisor Fresno, Madera & Yuba Counties
Rich has been on the Ultra Gro team since the summer of 2012. His science background from UCSB and strong work ethic have helped him get ahead of the agronomy learning curve. Rich is busy: He writes a monthly pistachio column for an Ag magazine, does a weekly radio spot providing timely farm advice, and has several "Farm to Fork" videos on his resume. Rich is married, farms pistachios with his wife, LeeAnn, and lives in Madera.
Sean is the newest member of the Ultra Gro team, but comes to us with an abundance of experience and qualifications. He has his PCA license and focuses on citrus, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, stone fruit and grapes. Sean is a fifth generation farmer from Reedley with in-depth knowledge on every aspect of running a farm. His goal is to be a part of the solution for the issues that face growers today, helping them succeed every step of the way.
Job Titles:
- Partner & Crop Advisor Kern & Kings Counties
Steve lives in Fresno and has a lot of history in Kern County. He has a large following in the table grape industry and spends a great amount of time in Delano. Some 35 years ago, growing up in Caruthers, Steve started out in the fertilizer business working for his father, Dick Best. An "all or nothing" kind of guy, Steve has been enthusiastically waving the Ultra Gro flag since 2001. He is a passionate Fresno State Bulldog supporter and an avid motorsports fan: cars, boats, quads, as he puts it "it doesn't matter… the faster the better!"
A Valley native, Tom resides in Tulare and grew up in a farming family. He got his start in ag working with his family's farming and dairy operation, and spent some time in the construction industry as well. He's now an Ultra Gro Crop Advisor serving Kings and Tulare Counties and is thrilled to be back in agriculture. Tom has been married to his wife Cheryl for 23 years and they have two daughters, Kendra and Hannah.