From meeting his biological father for the first time, to growing trees together at his father’s nursery, Chris Moberly, sales manager at McKeithen Growers, had no idea his life would completely change at 30 years old.
Katie McDaniel: Let’s begin with what was your dream job as a child, and did you ever imagine yourself working in the horticulture industry?
Chris Moberly: So no, I did not ever think I would be working in the horticulture industry. When I was younger, my dream job was actually being a fireman. I had an uncle who was a fireman in the Air Force. I don’t know if that had some type of pull on me or not, but I thought saving lives was cool and fighting fires was cool.
KM: So, how did you end up at McKeithen Growers; what does that path look like?
CM: Whew, it’s actually a long story; it’s a pretty cool story, too. My dad started the tree farm. … Well, let’s just say I didn’t know my biological father for the first 30 years of my life, and when I met him, it was like we never skipped a beat, like we’d known each other forever. I had no idea he had a tree farm. I thought he was more into landscaping. [My family and I] came down [to Florida] on vacation, and my wife said, “Hey, do you want to stop and meet your dad?” And I said, “Well, what have you got to lose at this point in life, right?” So, I met him, and it was awesome. It was just the coolest thing. I actually lived up in Atlanta, and I was working on power lines. He said, “Man, I really would love for you to come work for me.” … My family and I are living in Georgia, and I don’t know how to make that work. So long story short, I came down and started working for him. And for a year and a half, I was flying back and forth from Atlanta to Sarasota. I would work Monday through Thursday, and I would jump on a plane on Thursday night, fly back, spend the weekend with my wife and son, and then fly back on Sunday night and work the week. So a crazy story; I kind of have it in my blood. I have trees tattooed on my arms. It was just crazy how it all worked together, like I never missed a beat.
I’ve been with the nursery for four and a half years. I started in the potting crew, stepping up trees. My dad’s like, “Hey, if you want to be a manager, you got to know how to do it.” So, I said, “All right, let’s do it.” [I started] potting stuff up and learning the process of everything, the growing side of things, the business side of things and little by little kept traction and kept doing great. Now here I am as the sales manager. My dad is kind of in retirement and having fun, and I’m kind of running mostly everything. He still is very hands-on; it’s a beautiful thing.
KM: You were selected to participate in the second class of Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association’s Emerging Leaders Program. What are you looking forward to?
CM: It’s a great program. First of all, FNGLA is something I love. I put a lot of time and effort into our chapter; I’m the vice president of our chapter, which is the Manasota chapter. So, for the Emerging Leaders Program, you have to go through an application process. They handpick who they see potential in. It’s an 11-month program, we meet I think nine of the 11 months at different locations. I’m super excited about the program, meeting new people and learning the way that other farms do things.
KM: So, what is your favorite part of being the sales manager at McKeithen Growers?
CM: One of my favorite things is actually my employees. I treat employees very well because I couldn’t do what I do without them. So, we like to cut up and whatnot. … Also, I like seeing a seed, working it, putting it in the greenhouse, moving it, then seeing it get stepped up and then selling it. It’s like, man, I grew that from a seed and now I’m selling it. It’s a super cool thing for me, to see the whole process.
KM: McKeithen Growers is a wholesale nursery located in Florida, and it specializes in growing native trees. What plant varieties have generated the most interest among your customers this year?
CM: I would say we are 95% native, and in the state of Florida, there’s been a big push for natives in general for all the new development, trying to restore what they can of it. So, we sell a lot of live oaks; we sell different varieties of oaks as well. Maples are always a big seller. Hollies are always good, which not all of them are 100% native. [We sell a lot of] magnolias, a lot of bald cypress, and that’s probably one of our biggest sellers. We moved quite a few bald cypress, plus they grow quick.
KM: When you’re not working and busy at the nursery, what do you enjoy doing for fun?
CM: Oh, man, that’s a loaded question there. I do love fishing. I love hunting and four-wheeling. I like spending time with my wife and son; we do a lot of fun activities together. I actually hung a zip line up for him. Honestly, I don’t like leaving the farm, besides what I can do right here is what I want to do.
KM: With the holidays coming up soon, what are you most excited about this holiday season?
CM: I’m excited to just relax for a little bit. Living on the farm, sometimes it’s like Saturday morning, you’re like, I need to go check irrigation, just make sure everything got watered. And so, it’s a constant mind thing, especially when you live here. I’m just excited to rest, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorites because I love eating some turkey. This year I’m actually deep frying my first turkey, so that’s exciting. … For Christmas, I’m going to try to sneak up to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia and stay there for a week or so.
For more: mckeithengrowers.com
