Rick Spurgeon joined PlantRight in April 2021 with the responsibility of educating our customers and internal team members about how our PlantRight products can help grow healthier trees, shrubs, and plants. As a graduate of the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in forest management, Rick recognizes that much of his education came from his own hands-on experience.
Growing up on a small farm, Rick turned away from a manufacturing job that awaited him after high school graduation. Knowing he wanted to spend time outdoors and around trees, he received his college degree and never looked back.
Rick is a Board-Certified Master Arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). He is a former president of the Midwestern Chapter of ISA, certified arborist, and former president of the Kansas Arborist Association, and has received the Kansas State Forester Award. He earned the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.
Most recently, Rick created and managed an urban forestry program for the City of Olathe which entailed planting as many as 2,000 trees per year. He also was responsible for overseeing all removal and pruning operations, insect and disease control, and landscape/irrigation maintenance of city medians. Additional Olathe properties maintained by Rick and his team included parks, city buildings, trails, creeks, construction areas, and streets. Prior to working with the City of Olathe, he spent a few years consulting and managing private lands for timber production and operated a logging crew.
Without a doubt, trees are Rick’s passion in life. While he said that his favorite tree tends to evolve, he loves the vibrant fall colors that sugar maples put on and most recently he has grown to appreciate smaller tree varieties including the eastern redbud and golden raintree. He also enjoys researching state champion trees and recognizes that trees create cooling shade, raise property values, and reduce stress levels. Rick is an advocate for Bio-Life 800+ as well as the entire PlantRight system and sees the benefits it provides all plants, including trees. He understands microbes provide ideal “food” for plants and those same microbes could not exist without trees. He looks forward to increasing the knowledge of our internal team as well as sharing his knowledge with other tree and plant enthusiasts to help plants look vibrant, grow fast, stay healthy, and require less maintenance. Installing plants is the first step, and using the proper products is vital. When those things are done right, landscapers save money, improve their own reputation, and gain referrals and additional jobs. That cycle just keeps making the lives of everyone in the green industry easier.