Proven Winners ColorChoice Recognizes Overdevest Nurseries with Innovation Award

Online, January 14, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Grand Haven, Mich. - Proven Winners ColorChoice presented its 2009 Innovation Award to Overdevest Nurseries. The annual award recognizes forward thinking and excellence in the marketing of Proven Winners ColorChoice branded shrubs.

As part of the award, Overdevest won the Innovation Award Trophy, a replica of Rodin's famous "The Thinker" sculpture. Some have dubbed the trophy as the "Stanley Cup of Branded Shrubs" due to the physical rotation of the trophy to the most recent winner and because of the engraved names of previous winners, similar to the famous trophy of the National Hockey League.

Tim Wood, product and marketing manager for Proven Winners ColorChoice, and Gary Nienhuis, licensing and brand manager, presented the Innovation Award Trophy to Ed Overdevest, president of Overdevest, at a special reception on Jan. 6, 2010 at the recent Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS). More than 30 people attended the reception, including executives from several Proven Winners ColorChoice licensee partners.

Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc., a market leader in flowering shrubs, potted liners and starter plants, and the developer of Proven Winners ColorChoice branded shrubs, recognizes just one licensed partner each year to with an Innovation Award. Overdevest will also be awarded with a free 4-color advertisement placement in a regional publication, as well as receiving top listing among Proven Winners ColorChoice's Gold Key growers over 2010

Overdevest Nurseries (www.overdevestnurseries.com) is a wholesale-only grower based in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Overdevest offers 55 Proven Winners ColorChoice shrub varieties, and is well known in the industry as high-quality grower.

"We also wanted to recognize Overdevest's commitment to quality and the innovation they bring to the marketing of the Proven Winners ColorChoice brand," said Nienhuis. "Their level of participation in promoting the brand is an example of how licensees and Proven Winners ColorChoice can work together for the benefit of the grower, retailer and consumer."

Founded in 1952, Overdevest Nurseries is a supplier to independent garden centers and distributors in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. Overdevest grows more than 1,700 varieties of shrubs, trees, vines and perennials on approximately 210 acres.

Previous winners of the Proven Winners ColorChoice Innovation Award include Prides Corner Farms (2008), Fisher Farms (2007) and Van Essen Nursery (2006).