Stuart J. Sperber, CEO and co-founder of Calabasas, Calif.-based Valley Crest Tree Company and Vice Chairman of ValleyCrest Companies, is the 2005 recipient of the Pacific Coast Nurseryman Award, a distinction bestowed by the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC) on the individual who best demonstrates a lifetime of horticultural excellence and professional achievement.
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“Stuart has worked hard to distinguish himself and his company as a high-quality grower known for a commitment to customer service, strategic value, innovation, and a culture of success that brings out the very best in people,” says CANGC Awards Committee Chairman Don Knipp.
Sperber, a pioneer in the nursery and landscape services industry and 50-plus year member of the CANGC, has profoundly influenced the long-term advancement of the nursery business throughout the State of California. Sperber built Valley Crest Tree Company, the nursery division of ValleyCrest Companies, into one of the west’s leading tree nursery and specimen tree moving business by delivering vigorous consistency, high-quality trees and unyielding professionalism to customers.
“This is a terrific honor," Sperber says. "But, while I am deeply grateful to CANGC for recognizing my career, the award is a testimony to the people I work with every day. It is only because of their support, commitment and energy that our company, and my career, has had the foundation to become what it is today. Our company’s reputation is tied directly to our success in earning the commitment and pride of our customers and our industry. I’m also gratified for the attention this award brings to Valley Crest Tree Company as a great place to work,” he added.
Sperber began his career working with his brother, Burt, and father, Lewis, at Valley Crest Landscape Nursery, a family-owned retail nursery North Hollywood, Calif. Today, ValleyCrest Companies, the company they founded in 1949 with a few employees and a couple hundred dollars, is now, at 8,500 employees and $750 million, the largest privately held diversified landscape services company in the United States.
Sperber has held numerous leadership positions with professional landscape organizations. He is past president of the California Landscape Contractors Association, and was recently honored by them with its Life Member award. He is currently active on committees with CANGC and with efforts to mitigate Pierce’s Disease and Sudden Oak Death. He belongs to the National Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers, the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, and the American Nursery and Landscape Association.
Sperber, who studied Ornamental Horticulture at Cal Poly Pomona, was honored in 1999 by the school’s College of Agriculture with its first Award of Distinction. A former president of the University Education Trust at Cal Poly Pomona, he now serves an active member on its committees.
Stuart and his wife, Leslie, have been married for 43 years and reside in Calabasas, Calif. They have three children: Rochelle, Adam, and Julie, and seven grandchildren.