Jake Boyd

Jake Boyd

Starting Position: Inventory & Purchasing Assistant
Current Position: Inventory & Purchasing Assistant

Jake earned his BS in Horticulture Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008 where he served as Grower in the Horticulture Club. He took an occupational (and regional) detour to earn a law degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC in 2012 but was soon back to working with plants as a Plant Healthcare Specialist and Certified Arborist.

Long days spraying plants proved beneficial for becoming an avid distance runner, which led to a job as an Inventory Assistant with a running shoe store. He spent 5 years there, eventually becoming the Inventory Manager/Footwear Buyer. In 2020 when he wanted to move closer to family in Illinois, his plant knowledge and inventory management experience was a perfect fit here at Johnson’s.

What do you like most about working at Johnson's Nursery?
I love the fact that we are the leader in growing local, Wisconsin native plants which will thrive in our environment and sustain our local ecosystems.

Why would you recommend someone work here?
Johnson’s Nursery ticks all the boxes I look for in an employer. It’s an independent, family-owned company full of people who put pride in their work and genuinely care about what they do. The immense knowledge and expertise of the staff here is truly incredible.

Personal Brief
I was raised in Lake Zurich, IL and developed an interest in plants (fruit in particular), by visiting my grandfather’s peach and apple orchard in deep southern Illinois. I grew to love not only our forests, but the wildlife they sustain, by hunting in his woods for deer and turkey. I am fascinated by the story of the American Chestnut tree, which is a great example of how non-native plants and the diseases they host can devastate ecosystems and the economies dependent on them. I don’t particularly like sitting still (unless it’s in a deer stand) and spend a lot of my time running or walking my dog, Colby. I am eager to explore the trails of Wisconsin and see how they stack up against running in the hills of North Carolina!