Rick Pontz, author, speaker and veteran business development expert in the lawn and garden industry, founded The Lawn & Garden Performance Group, LLC in 1999.
During his tenure in the lawn and garden industry, Rick has managed large and small lawn and garden product companies as President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Sales & Marketing and as International Sales Manager. Rick Pontz was the primary negotiator in six acquisitions within the last four years and has successfully introduced over 34 products to the lawn and garden industry during the last eighteen years. Many of the products are currently being sold by such major retailers as Home Depot, Lowes, ACE Hardware, WalMart, True Value, Target & Kmart.
Mr. Pontz has been an active member of professional organizations including General Merchandise Distributors Council, Lawn & Garden Merchandise Council, Mailorder Gardening Association and the Garden Writers Association. He is on the advisory board of the National Hardware Show and the National Lawn and Garden Show and is a guest speaker at many industry events. Mr. Pontz has been quoted in USA Today, Home Channel News, the Wall Street Journal and Green Beam publications. Mr. Pontz is also on the Board of Directors of three lawn and garden corporations.
The Lawn & Garden Performance Group, LLC (LGPG) has partnered with Alison Tanner and Tanner Growth to enhance its Mergers & Acquisitions team.
Ms. Tanner works with The Lawn & Garden Performance Group LLC on acquisitions, mergers, new business development, and financing. Drawing upon her wide-ranging experience as both an investor and a senior corporate development executive, she adds acquisition skills and insight in negotiating mergers and strategic alliances to the Lawn & Garden Performance Group LLC creating an organization dedicated solely to lawn and garden industry Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Partnerships.
Alison has made investments and completed financings totaling hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of public and private growth companies. She also has extensive experience executing the kinds of initiatives that propel companies forward more rapidly towards their strategic goals.
Alison spent thirteen years on Wall Street as an analyst and portfolio manager for companies including Salomon Brothers and Fred Alger Management. She then joined the successful turnaround team at Sensormatic Electronics Corporation, a global electronic security company, where she oversaw e-commerce and investor relations.
As Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Strategist for eDiets.com, Inc., a leading provider of online weight loss solutions, Alison led strategic planning, new business line development, mergers and acquisitions and strategic alliances. She implemented a paradigm-shifting diet licensing initiative that reached $30 million in revenue, launched the award-winning DeliciouslyYours portion-controlled nationwide fresh meal delivery service and accelerated the company’s entry into the corporate hosted services market through the acquisition of Nutrio.com.
Alison has served as both a state and a national board member of AeA, the leading U.S. technology trade association, and is a founder and board member of New World Angels, a Southeastern angel capital fund. She also sits on the board of the Enterprise Development Corporation of South Florida, a regional non-profit economic development organization that assists emerging science and technology companies, and the board of the South Florida chapter of the MIT Enterprise Forum. In addition, Alison serves as an instructor for FastTrac®, an entrepreneurship education program of the Kaufmann Foundation.
About Joanne Schlosser, ACC, SPHR, MBA:
Joanne Schlosser is a certified coach who works with high performing leaders that want to grow their career and/or their business to the next level. Her vibrant business career spanning over 25 years has included positions of leadership in healthcare, economic development and non profit work. She founded and ran two entrepreneurial companies. She has also worked in high technology, aerospace and the hospitality industry. As a consultant, coach, trainer and professional speaker , Joanne’s clients include over 100 firms ranging from small, rising stars to large Fortune 100 stars.
Joanne has worked extensively as a change agent, with projects ranging from small process improvements to the opening of a state-of-the-art hospital. Joanne has provided leadership development and organizational development services to thousands of leaders. That led to her interest in leadership coaching. Joanne is a lifelong learner who is passionate about helping Rising Stars, particularly high potential leaders, newly promoted leaders and business owners achieve their full potential. She is skilled in using numerous assessments, to such as DISC, Emotional Intelligence, Strengthsfinders, and 360 Feedback to help you learn more about your own strengths and developmental opportunities. Joanne’s coach described her as a “Possibilities Person” and her goal is to help you create the possibilities to achieve your desired goals.
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Whether you are looking to buy or sell a company, a brand or product, or if you are looking to acquire marketing rights, distribution rights or a strategic alliance, The Lawn & Garden Performance Group, LLC can assist in making the process efficient and profitable.