Nursery Sales Manager

Sales Manager

T&L Nursery is hiring a Sales Manager to lead our sales team and shape the future direction of the business. This is a key leadership role responsible for driving profitable growth, setting sales and marketing strategy, managing a team of inside and outside regional sales representatives, and sales operations staff. You’ll play a central role in expanding our market share, deepening customer relationships, and ensuring the level of service our customers expect — while meeting company sales objectives. Expect 6–8 weeks of travel per year to visit customers, attend trade shows, and represent T&L at industry events.

For 40 years, T&L Nursery has been where the Pacific Northwest garden begins — growing the plant material that stocks garden centers and landscaping projects across the region. From our nursery in the Sammamish Valley, between Redmond and Woodinville, we produce approximately 4 million plants across more than 2,500 varieties each year, making us one of the largest and most diverse growers in the region.

Despite our scale, we're still a small, privately owned business — and that culture shows. We were recently recognized nationally with the Best Places to Work: Horticulture designation, a reflection of our commitment to building a great place to grow, both for our plants and our people.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Team Leadership & Development

• Build and lead a high-performing sales team — recruiting, hiring, training, coaching, and holding team members accountable to departmental objectives

• Champion a team culture built on results, customer focus, and genuine investment in each person's development

• Conduct regular sales meetings and establish weekly priorities and objectives

• Provide ongoing performance feedback, mentoring, and professional development opportunities

• Support sales staff with customer negotiations, conflict resolution, and strategic account management

Sales Leadership & Strategy

• Work closely with the Managing Director and Executive Committee to develop, implement, and execute annual sales plans that support company growth and profitability goals

• Establish sales objectives, forecasts, and performance metrics for the team

• Monitor performance and take proactive steps to achieve revenue and margin targets

• Grow sales with existing customers while identifying and securing new business

• Analyze market trends, customer needs, competitor activity, and industry developments to identify growth opportunities

• Represent the Sales department in company-wide strategic planning and foster cross-departmental collaboration

Customer Relationship Management

• Own and strengthen strategic relationships with key garden centers, landscapers, and non-traditional accounts, stepping in to negotiate, grow, and protect long-term partnerships

• Conduct regular customer visits and sales reviews to identify growth opportunities and address service gaps before they become problems

• Partner with customers to build preseason programs, promotions, and purchasing plans that align with their buying cycles

• Set the standard for responsive, proactive customer service across the sales team, ensuring inquiries and opportunities are followed up on consistently and without drop-off

Sales Operations & Marketing

• Develop and manage preseason order programs and conduct sales performance reviews

• Establish weekly promotions, specials, and sales initiatives to support inventory movement and revenue goals

• Collaborate with Growers, Production, Inventory, and Operations teams to align sales commitments with product availability

• Participate in trade shows, industry events, customer meetings, and promotional activities

• Support the development and execution of marketing campaigns and customer outreach

Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare regular sales reports, forecasts, and market analyses

• Monitor key performance indicators and recommend improvements to sales processes and customer engagement strategies

What You Bring

• 5–7 years of progressive sales experience, including at least 3 years in a sales leadership or management role

• Proven track record leading a high-performing sales team of 5 or more

• Experience managing a substantial sales portfolio, with annual revenue at or above $10M annually

• Strong working knowledge of plant material, including the ability to speak confidently with professionals about product characteristics, seasonality, and availability

• Strong analytical, negotiation, and customer service skills, with the ability to build lasting professional relationships

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills; bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus

• Experience with CRM, ERP, and sales reporting systems preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Horticulture, Agribusiness, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered

• Background in wholesale or B2B horticulture sales is a strong advantage — familiarity with nursery industry buying cycles and product knowledge will help you ramp quickly. Candidates with strong sales leadership records from other horticulture-adjacent industries are also encouraged to apply

• Experience developing preseason order programs, promotional strategies, and volume pricing structures is a plus

Compensation and Benefits:

Competitive salary, plus performance bonus, commensurate with experience.

·        Paid holidays, sick leave, and paid time off

·        Medical, vision, and dental insurance

·        401(k) with generous company match

·        Product discounts

Relocation: Assistance available for candidates residing more than 50 miles from our Redmond, WA nursery.

Role Details:

• Reports to: Managing Director

• Typical Schedule: In-person role based at our Redmond, WA nursery. Sales office hours are Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM; closed weekends and most holidays. Hours may shift seasonally, with occasional evening or weekend work during peak sales periods or special events

• Travel: Approximately 6–8 weeks per year for customer visits, supplier meetings, and industry events