Maria Zampini

Maria Zampini, President

Maria Zampini, President, is known as the “Spiderwoman” of the green industry, and she always uses her powers for good. Let Maria & UpShoot connect you with your customers, from growers to retailers to consumers. 

Maria with her father, Jim Zampini
Maria with her father, Jim Zampini

For three generations, the Zampini family has worked in horticulture in the Lake County, Ohio area. Our horticulture roots trace back to the famed Storrs & Harrison Nursery, which was at one time the largest nursery in the world. From there we went on to start our own nursery on a ¼-acre plot of land, where roses were the main crop. Under my father Jim Zampini’s leadership, the family nursery grew to 1,000 acres, and Lake County Nursery, Inc. became one of the most diverse and largest wholesale nurseries in the United States. In 2009, Jim and I left the wholesale growing world to concentrate on new plant introductions.

We continued to grow the company to not only market great plants to growers and gardeners alike—but also to share our expertise to a greater audience. You’ll find my articles in top industry trade journals and leading consumer gardening publications. UpShoot staff and I travel the world for speaking engagements, seminars and industry trade shows. All of these avenues allow us to share the knowledge and inspiration we’ve gained through the decades.

Jim passed away in April 2017, leaving behind a legacy of plant genetics that continue to delight gardeners. I’m #OneLuckyDaughter to get to carry that forward, and grow UpShoot into new areas of the industry.

Since its founding, UpShoot has helped businesses and breeders, large and small, up their game in the digital marketing realm.  With the support of multiple experienced, quality freelance colleagues who specialize in writing, blog and website design, social media, photography, patent and trademark applications, and more, we’re not only a plant introduction company, but also a full service green industry marketing firm.

With each new part of the industry that we’ve entered, we’ve carried our love for plants, our dedication to our customers and our belief that hard work and determination are what turn ideas into opportunities and opportunities into successful realities.

For a more detailed look back at the Zampini family’s horticultural history, please download the LCN Historical Scrapbook from the 60th Anniversary 2007-2008 Lake County Nursery, Inc. catalog (reprinted with permission from LCN Holdings, Inc. dba Lake County Nursery).