Meet the Quick Plug North America Team

Bill Maartense – Managing Director
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Resides in Ontario, Canada
With over 25 years of industry experience, Maartense has most recently served as Director of Quick Plug Canada (formerly Omni Growing Solutions) since its inception in 2010. Quick Plug North America includes two locations: a facility in South Portland, Maine, USA, and a facility location in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.

James Chittum – Director of Business Development
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Resides in Maine
James Chittum has been at Quick Plug North America since 2006 and serves as the Director of Business Development. James holds a Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Rhode Island.

Eric Waterman – National Sales Manager
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Resides in Maine
Eric Waterman has been with Quick Plug North America since 2012. Before joining the Quick Plug North America team, Eric worked in sales for Maine Cedar Log Homes and Hancock Lumber. Eric holds a degree in Landscape Horticulture from the University of Maine.

Jim Grob – Technical Sales Advisor
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Resides in Oregon
Working out of the Seattle area Jim will be responsible for assisting clients with Quick Plug propagation products for the tissue culture, forestry and woody ornamental markets as well as regional clients in western North America. Jim’s professional career spans 29 years where he worked with Weyerhaeuser Company and most recently Phytelligence. His technically oriented approach and ability to work closely with growers and scientists will prove a fruitful addition to the Quick Plug team.

Brian Kura – Managing Director
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Resides in Ohio
Brian Kura is a proven senior executive that has delivered consistent result with both multi-
billion-dollar corporations and smaller regional entrepreneurial companies. In doing so Brian
has gained valuable experience interacting with senior leadership, corporate boards of
directors, investors, banks and industry leaders.
Prior to joining Quick Plug, Brian was an equity partner at Columbus, OH based Ohio Mulch.
Here he led efforts to accelerate sales growth, updating the companies’ operating system
and transitioning to a new point-of-sale system for the company’s retail locations.

Jason Barrett – Sales Manager
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Resides in Illinois
Jason Barrett joined Quick Plug North America in 2021. Prior to joining Quick Plug NA, Jason’s professional career spans 20+ years in the Horticulture industry. Jason holds a degree in Landscape Horticulture from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and is an accredited LEED AP BD+ C professional.

George Bello – Canadian Sales
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Resides in Ontario, Canada
George Bello joined Quick Plug in 2020. George has worked in various industries the last 20 years before joining Quick Plug NA. George Bello holds a degree in business from Sienna Height University and Management Diploma from the University of Wolverhampton UK.

Paul Cooper – Senior Sales Strategy Manager, North America
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Resides in California
Paul Cooper comes to Quick Plug North America with over 23 years of industry experience, 18 of which have been at a Senior Management capacity. Paul was most recently the National Sales Manager at the Henry F. Michell Company and prior to that, he worked as a Senior Manager for SHS Griffin and Syngenta. Paul holds a degree in Business Management from San Diego State University.

James Atkins – Sales Manager
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Resides in South Carolina
James graduated with a degree in Agronomy from North Carolina State University while working with the cotton specialist helping to improve genetics and best management practices. After his time at NC State, he went on to study and earn a degree in Environmental Horticulture from Clemson University wile working with Stacy’s Greenhouses(now Metrolina) as the trials coordinator focused on trialing and assessing ornamental varieties performance.
Prior to joining QuickPlug, James covered the Southeast as the Technical Rep for BioSafe Systems focusing on Ornamental and Hemp production, as well as working previously as a Plant Broker selling young plant material with SHS/Griffin.