40th anniversary highlights growth, brings brain tumour awareness

By Deanna Bertrand

“Always learning, always growing” – that is just how they do business at A.M.A. Horticulture Inc. in Kingsville. And how they have done business for the past 40 years, with an emphasis on family and giving back to the community.

“It is about leaving a legacy,” said managing director Connie Bradt to employees on May 10 at the 40th anniversary luncheon at their headquarters on Spinks Drive.

She highlighted many new initiatives for the wholesale horticulture supplier and plans for continued growth of A.M.A. into the future which already includes a world-wide customer base of commercial growers.

Bradt also wanted to continue the work her husband started nearly 20 years ago for a charity near and dear to their hearts — the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.

Rick Bradt looks on as wife Connie Bradt presents Shannon LaHay, CEO of the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, with a cheque for $10,000 at the company’s 40th anniversary luncheon held May 10.

SUN photos by Deanna Bertrand

Bradt explained that in 2002, her husband — and co-managing director of A.M.A. Horticulture — Rick, was diagnosed with a brain tumour after noticing a loss of vision on a business trip. It took several surgeries and finally going to the top surgeon in the field over the next few years to completely remove his tumour.

She said at the time there wasn’t a lot of information out there and they were directed to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada where they found a source of support.

“It was life changing for him,” Bradt explained. That experience grew to a deep desire in him to “do something to help raise awareness.”

And that was the birth of the idea to use their product — AL’s Flower Pouch (a planter bag) — to bring awareness and aid in research and support for the charity by donating five cents from every AL’s Flower Pouch sold.

In the past 20 years, that has accumulated to $150,000 from those sales and another cheque for $10,000 was presented to CEO Shannon LaHay of the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada at the lunch.

LaHay highlighted how the foundation has grown since Rick’s first involvement so many years ago with technology making live chats possible and now even a new app.

She said they are seeing progress with research and data collection as well, and a brain tumour registry has been started to track types of tumours and locations.

“In 40 years a lot has evolved,” she said of the foundation, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Pictured packing an Al’s Flower Pouch are, left to right: Rick Bradt, managing director A.M.A. Horticulture Inc., Shannon LaHay, CEO of the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, Connie Bradt, managing director of A.M.A. Horticulture Inc., and Amanda Wolfe, Sales and Customer Service.

The Bradt’s also plan to walk in the Brain Tumour Walk Weekend June 17-19 in support of many family and friends who have also been diagnosed with brain tumours. Especially in memory of the surgeon who removed all of Rick’s tumour and a few years later ironically ended up dying from an inoperable one himself, they said.

“We are walking for a lot of people,” said Connie.

LaHay added that 27 Canadians a day are diagnosed with a brain tumour and 55,000 Canadians currently have brain tumours.

For more information on the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada go to http://www.braintumour.ca.

To register for the Brain Tumour Walk Weekend June 17-19 go to http://www.braintumourwalk.ca.

Information on A.M.A Horticulture Inc. can be found at http://www. amahort.com or Al’s Flower Pouches at www.alsflowerpouch. ca.