2/2/2023 - By Mike Hess

Blessed is the word that comes to mind when Roger Whitaker thinks of his career at Harrell's. For the last 23, nearly 24 years Harrell's Sales Representative Roger Whitaker has served the Northeast region. He provided exceptional service to Vermont and New Hampshire, offering his help to his customers as well as the community around him.

Starting From the Ground Up

Roger began his career at Harrell's in 1999 when Dave Schermerhorn called him about an opening in the Northern territory. The Northeast would be a completely new territory not just for Roger but for Harrell's. There were no existing customers to call on, so Roger had his work cut out for him. But he was up for a challenge.

Adapting to the Northwest

"It was brutal for the first few years," Roger said, "Talk about a daunting task for a few years, but then once you prove yourself and people start to know you a little more, they begin to buy. Through a lot of hard work and some long conversations, I made it through the worst years and here I am today."

Over the years, the territory Roger served shifted from Vermont and Northern New York to cover Vermont and New Hampshire respectively. When he started, there was not a warehouse anywhere near Northern New York. So, servicing the area was a headache for Roger and his drivers. As a result Roger's territory shifted from Vermont and Northern New York to cover Vermont and New Hampshire. "I've given up some of my territories already to the two guys who are going to replace me (Kent Lemme and Connor Cinque). So, at this point, I've narrowed things down to central New Hampshire and Vermont."

Factors for Growers to Consider

Roger has worked to master his craft of delivering Harrell's value to all of his customers in the north, but that doesn't mean it isn't still difficult in that terrain. He said there are a couple of big factors you have to consider up there, "#1 the growing season is really short. It's not like Florida where you have 12 whole months a year to grow, we don't get going until mid-May. As far as the grass growing and guys spraying fungicides, their hands are more or less tied because we have 5 months of snow cover out of the year.

And the other factor is when you look at the population density, the population of Vermont is less than a million (645,570), and New Hampshire might be slightly over a million (1.389), but just a lot of trees and mountains, and not a lot of people." Putting these factors together makes for a tricky growing season, but when the weather is finally right and people start calling Roger, they don't stop until the season is done.

Developing a Legacy of Trust

Throughout his time in the Vermont/New Hampshire area, Roger has developed a rapport and reputation with the people that you only get through experience and consistency. People have even come to know him as "the guy" in the area, calling him with any questions about spray mixes or products throughout the growing season. "When you're able to give those answers, I think people respect you and then you're going to succeed at the end of the day."

Roger has experienced the ups and downs of business, building customers and developing a territory into something which is now thriving and well-connected. He has learned hundreds of things he could leave behind for the rest of the Harrell's family, but one piece of advice he wanted to emphasize is this, "Harrell's gives you the tools. You've got a beautiful truck, credit card, all kinds of ads and technical product information to hand out, little gifts, and so on but at the end of the day, you create your own destiny. Nobody tells you when you have to rise, hit the road, or looks at you and wonders if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, " Roger said.

"With those work habits you've got to be out there and in front of people, you've got to believe in yourself. You create your destiny, whether you want to learn about every aspect of fertilization or fungicides is completely up to you, but if you can get in front of somebody and give them a concrete answer then you're going to succeed. Once you start believing in yourself then they start calling you."

Roger and Judy's Plans for Retirement

Roger and his wife (Judy) are living up in New England on their little 1890s farm and are very excited about his retirement. Roger is a tinkerer, working on carpentry, masonry, mechanics, farming, or pretty much anything else that he can figure out. "I like to tinker, so I have no illusions that I'll be bored in retirement."

Roger plans to work on his farm, maintaining the land around it by cleaning up the forest from old stumps and tree trimmings, and fly fishing when the trout are biting. "Judy and I don't need to travel a whole lot because we've got a whole lot right here, where we can sit and watch the sunset every night. So, we're happy."

Thank you, Roger, for the years of service, commitment, and passion you have put into everything you did at Harrell's. We're all wishing you a happy retirement!