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Juan Ponce, Metrolina Greenhouses’ director of horticulture, was named Greenhouse Grower’s 2026 Head Grower of the Year. In an interview, he traced his career from agricultural engineering studies and greenhouse inspections in Colombia to an internship and a series of growing roles at Metrolina.
Juan Ponce, director of horticulture at Metrolina Greenhouses, was named Greenhouse Grower’s 2026 Head Grower of the Year, and a new interview recounts how he progressed from agricultural engineering studies in Colombia to leading horticultural work at the company. The profile describes a career spanning propagation, finish production and oversight of growers and crop practices across the operation.
Greenhouse Grower said it recognized Ponce during its Evening of Excellence at Cultivate’26. The magazine also featured him in the cover story of its November 2026 issue and described the interview as the first in a four-part series about his career and work at Metrolina. The supplied interview focuses on his education, professional influences and successive roles at the greenhouse business.
Ponce said he graduated in 2004 from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia with a degree in agricultural engineering. He later pursued additional study in entomology, integrated pest management (IPM) and biological control. Before moving to the United States, he worked as a quarantine inspector for the Colombian Agricultural Institute and visited cut-flower greenhouse operations in Antioquia, an experience he identified as his first exposure to commercial ornamental production.
At Metrolina, an internship led to a job as an assistant grower, followed by about two years as a section grower. Ponce then spent approximately 13 years as head grower in propagation, working with Metrolina Chief Horticulture Officer Ivan Tchakarov. After moving into finish growing, he applied his experience with individual crops to combinations of plants sharing a container. He said understanding how each crop grows helps him judge how different varieties may perform together.
From Crop Production to Companywide Oversight
Ponce’s account shows how specialized production experience can inform broader leadership responsibilities in a large greenhouse operation. His work now extends beyond growing individual crops: he supports growers and assistant growers and helps meet company standards for quality, timing and product specifications.
He said his responsibilities include decisions on crop health, irrigation, nutrition, environmental controls and IPM, among other production practices. He also works with teams across propagation, production, shipping, maintenance, purchasing and research. That coordination matters because growing results depend on decisions and timing across multiple parts of the operation, not just on horticultural knowledge within one production area.
The recognition gives readers a concrete account of the experience behind the award. Ponce described moving from scientific training into commercial growing, then carrying knowledge from propagation into finish production and management. The interview does not quantify the effects of his work on yields, costs or product quality, so those outcomes should not be inferred from the profile alone.
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Education, Mentors and Metrolina Roles
Ponce said his interest in greenhouse production began while working in Colombia, where visits to ornamental cut-flower operations connected his studies with commercial horticulture. His additional training in entomology, IPM and biological control shaped his interests before he sought opportunities in the United States to build practical experience.
In the interview, he credited several people with influencing different parts of his development. He named Professor Gilberto Morales Soto as an early influence in entomology and IPM, and Dr. Clara Inés Nicholls as an influence on biological control and agroecology. Ponce also cited Suzanne Wainwright-Evans for expanding his practical knowledge of IPM in ornamental production.
Within horticulture, Ponce identified Ivan Tchakarov as a central mentor in learning commercial greenhouse production at scale. He also credited Dr. David S. Koranski with helping him understand young-plant production and Dr. Royal Heins with strengthening his knowledge of plant physiology and greenhouse environmental management. Ponce described his career as a combination of formal education, mentorship and the chance to apply that knowledge at Metrolina.
“Understanding how each crop grows individually has helped me determine how different genetics will perform together in the same container.”
— Juan Ponce
What the Profile Does Not Detail
The supplied report does not provide a detailed award-selection process, the criteria used by Greenhouse Grower or comparisons with other candidates. It also does not give quantitative measures of Ponce’s production results or specify the size and output of the teams he oversees. The career timeline is based on Ponce’s interview, with several roles described in approximate durations.
The magazine said the interview begins a four-part series, but the supplied material does not state when the remaining installments will be published or what specific findings they will contain. The announcement identifies Ponce’s current role and areas of responsibility, but does not describe any new company initiative tied to the award.
Further Interviews in the Series
Greenhouse Grower said it plans to continue the series with coverage of Ponce’s work, including how he has built a team at Metrolina and his approach to IPM and technology. The publication did not provide release dates for those pieces in the supplied report. For now, the interview offers a career history and account of Ponce’s responsibilities, while future installments may provide more detail on his management practices and technical approach.
Key Questions
What award did Juan Ponce receive?
Greenhouse Grower named Ponce its 2026 Head Grower of the Year. The magazine said the recognition took place at its Evening of Excellence event during Cultivate’26.
What is Ponce’s role at Metrolina Greenhouses?
Ponce is the company’s director of horticulture. He said he supports growers and assistant growers and works on crop quality, timing, production practices and coordination with other departments.
How did Ponce begin his career in horticulture?
He studied agricultural engineering in Colombia, worked as a quarantine inspector and visited cut-flower greenhouse operations. After moving to the United States, he joined Metrolina through an internship that led to an assistant grower position.
How long did Ponce work in propagation?
Ponce said he spent about 13 years as head grower in propagation at Metrolina before moving into finish growing. He said that experience helped him understand crop requirements from the start of production.
What will the rest of the Greenhouse Grower series cover?
The publication said the four-part series would cover Ponce’s career, his efforts to build a dedicated team at Metrolina, and his approach to IPM and technology. It did not provide publication dates for the remaining articles.
Source: greenhousegrower.com
