2019 Winner - Rico Mannall

“Entering Young Achiever definitely opened my eyes to the wider industry. You can get busy with the day-to-day aspects, but the competition exposed me to the wider issues like policy decisions that affect the industry. It’s good to be able to see the latest in the industry and in technology.”

Rico Mannall was working behind a desk when he entered the 2019 NZ Plant Producers Young Achiever competition. As the Business Development & Marketing Manager at Canterbury’s Southern Woods Nursery, he had two colleagues who had won the Young Achiever competition in the past.

“They acted as a sounding board while I was preparing. For anyone entering, I would definitely recommend talking to past entrants.

“I did need to brush up on my plant knowledge. I’d worked in the nursery before going to university but since then I’ve been sitting at a desk so I needed to upskill on propagation.”

Contestants are tested on their practical skills in a range of nursery-related tasks. “On the day of the competition there were two other entrants and we all had very different backgrounds from very different nurseries. The test I found most difficult was pests and disease identification.”

And then there’s the speech event – in 2019 this was held in front of the industry at NZ Plant Producers’ annual gala dinner.

“I would definitely recommend anyone entering gets some practice doing presentations at work or Toastmasters, to get some public speaking experience.”

Rico recommends the Young Achiever to everyone planning a career in plant production.

“You will be tested on all elements of the industry. If there are gaps in your skills or experience, this a good opportunity to fill them. It’s a really rewarding journey, in knowledge and in prizes. Go for it, don’t be shy. And I encourage employers to nudge suitable young staff into the competition and support them through the journey.”