ILCA Person of the Year

ILCA’s 2021-22 Person of the Year

by Nina Koziol

When John Algozzini graduated from

Indiana University in 1977 he began applying for jobs. He had studied English, U.S. history and journalism. “I thought I was going to teach English and coach football, but I ended up in a job at a bank in Indianapolis for three years and was bored out of my mind.” On the way to and from work he passed Country Harmony Home & Garden Center and frequently stopped in. The rest, as they say, is history.

“The owner hired me to work on the weekends. I worked there three to four months and quit my job.” When he told his wife, her response was “Good, the weekends were killing you.” Little did she realize he quit the bank. “It was an alignment of the stars for me — I was so fortunate. The owner was contagious and positive in an excessive way. He was talented and enthusiastic.”

That job hooked him on the green industry and early in his career he worked for several award-winning landscape firms, sharpening his skills in design sales and creative services. Later he applied those skills at Dutch Barn, Kinsella and K&D. “I had the right set of employers and was able to be nurtured and educated, and I self-educated.” He met Bob Hursthouse while working at Hinsdale Nursery 35 years ago and they’ve been close friends ever since. And, knowing Algozzini’s many talents, Hursthouse recently brought him onboard at Hursthouse, Inc.

“He’s a thoughtful, deep-thinking individual,” Hursthouse said. “He likes to have creative solutions and he can see the reality behind a challenge very quickly, which makes him an exceptional designer and salesman. He connects really well with people and he’s highly effective.”

He has influenced many ILCA members through his good deeds. “He’s as genuine and unique as he sounds,” says Steve Raczak, sales rep for Twixwood Nursery. “We go back close to 20 years. I’m not sure if I’ve ever met anyone as creative with his design skills or innovation. He often flows against the current. I think he was the voice for a lot of members through his contributions and work on committees. He’s spoken for those who had differing thoughts and opinions about what we should and could be doing.” Connecting with ILCA Algozzini had taken many ILCA classes beginning in the mid-1990s, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he became really active with the association. “Bob had nudged me on several occasions, saying you need to get involved and ultimately he wore me down. That was my good fortune though I certainly didn’t recognize it at the moment.” He signed up for leadership training. “I knew Steve Raczak who was a committee chair and asked him if he needed any ballast.” About the same time, the Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show (Mid-Am) in Chicago was taking a long, painful nosedive. Many exhibitors were concerned that the convention might cease altogether. They were worried that sales would go completely online, but one exhibitor voiced what everyone felt: faceto-face interaction will never be replaced by the internet. Period.

Algozzini began writing letters. “When I wrote to the Mid-Am board and Smithbucklin, the show’s association manager, I said we’re a green industry but we don’t have any gardens! I was at a Unilock Christmas party with nearly 500 people and watched attendees sit to the end just to win a $50 gift certificate. I said we need to do raffles and make things fun.”

When the Mid-Am Board voted to dissolve, I saw an opportunity. I was there alongside Jack Pizzo and Joe Hobson telling Scott Grams that I wanted to chair the committee [for iLandscape].

Although he won’t confirm it, there’s a rumor that he brought an empty McDonald’s Happy Meal box to the ILCA office and said, “What’s missing from this box is fun.” That box was a symbol for what could become iLandscape. He saw an opportunity to fill that box — create a new ILCA event that engaged members, attendees and exhibitors in a unique way. He credits Executive Director Scott Grams and the ILCA board. “I’ll be forever thankful to Scott. That’s how I ended up on the Experience Committee — chairing it and pulling the show together with a really good group of people that first year.”

“I had the pleasure of serving on the Education Committee during the transition to iLandscape,” Raczak said. “John was someone on the committee who offered unique insight into what members needed and wanted. When I think

about iLandscape and John, I think about the fun, the buzz, the raffles, the education. Transforming the experience of that show has been very instrumental to the current success of the association.”

Steve Regan, senior vice president of sales at Semmer Landscape has known Algozzini for 18 years. “He works tirelessly to improve our industry and the people in it, especially in Illinois. John does not do this for the accolades — he is very humble. I think that is what makes him special. He truly does it for the love of the game. He has made me much better at my profession and I cannot thank him enough.”

The Dawn of iLandscape “John’s an exceptional association member,” Hursthouse said. “He’s an effective communicator and he’s fun to be around and he’s extremely loyal.” The run-up to the first iLandscape show ultimately became a marathon with many participants and the course was not always easy and sometimes felt like it was an uphill struggle. Many people were involved, but it was Algozzini who was a driving force, encouraging the ILCA to move quickly ahead. In the end, the inaugural iLandscape launched in January 2013 and it has picked up speed every year.

“I’ve known John since 2004, as a boss, a mentor, a colleague, a friend and a partner in crime,” said Tina ScanlanTurner of Infinity Lawn and Landscape in Frankfort. “He is bold, aggressive, infectious, fearless, and incorrigible. As Mid-Am was breathing its dying breath he volunteered to spearhead the first iLandscape show committee before it had a name, or even a direction. He had a vision with the confidence to back it up, and miraculously convinced the executive director and the board to turn him loose. He then recruited and rallied the troops to help him execute the plan and it has been on a roll ever since.”

Katrina House, general manager at Xylem Ltd. met John nine years ago when he asked her to join the Experience Committee to plan for the first iLandscape show. “I consider him a dear friend ever since that phone call. John, in my eyes, is the godfather of iLandscape. He took the vision and put a group of people together that he thought could hit a home run. And, he continued to dig and work each year to make it bigger and better and keep it fresh. He is so passionate about the landscape industry and his customers — I feel very blessed to have met him.”

“When we were on the iLandscape Committee together he brought many of his plant-nerd gang to spearhead this new show adventure,” said Anna Smailus of Alan Horticultural Enterprises in Joliet. “I believe in my heart the show would have never become what it is now without all of his incredible ideas and concepts that came to life.”

“I don’t think I realized it at the time, but all events need a vibe and culture,” said Scott Grams, ILCA Executive Director. “They are more than a collection of stuff happening under a tradeshow roof. John wanted iLandscape to take risks, laugh a little, and provide inspiration and imagination. The landscape industry is full of pent-up energy in the winter. Yes, we are professionals, but John ripped the door off its hinges and let in the fun. Wouldn’t you know it, people followed. John deserves so much credit for the vibe that iLandscape enjoys to this day.”

Kudos and More Algozzini was truly surprised when ILCA’s past president Donna Vignocchi Zych called to tell him about the award. “She said she was really excited, and I thought to myself ‘Is she opening a division in Manteno’ [his home town]?” When he realized he was chosen as Person of the Year, he was almost dumbfounded. “I said no way! I had goosebumps and was absolutely overwhelmed by the honor. It was certainly humbling in the moment and it still is.” “The Person of the Year award is the pinnacle of a lifetime of his achievements, and I would personally like to congratulate Algo on a job well done,” ScanlanTurner said. Her comments are echoed by many of his peers. “He is such a generous, giving person and has done so much for our industry,” said Sharon Bretl-Marrin from Bret-Mar Landscape in Homer Glen. “He’s an all-around nice guy.”

“This is a much deserved award for my friend and colleague,” said Scott Lucchetti, senior landscape designer at C.B. Conlin Landscapes in Naperville. “John has dedicated his career to raising the bar on professionalism and creativity in the design/build sector of residential landscape architecture. He is a well-respected individual and has done more to help my career than anyone else in the industry. From writing letters of recommendation when I was looking for a change of scenery to encouraging me to serve on professional committees, he has truly gone out of his way to propel my career forward. I can’t think of another person more deserving of this award.”

Smailus is another friend who has known Algozzini for 13 years. “He was my boss back in 2009 and was the best, most caring and forward-thinking boss I’ve ever had. He treats everyone equal and shares his horticultural knowledge along the way.”

Algozzini once told Smailus something that has stuck with her to this day. “He said people won’t always remember what you said or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”