Matt Altman

Altman Plants, Vista, Calif.

Chief Operating Officer

At the age of 22 he was “drafted” to be GM of Altman’s Salinas, Calif., operation that grew from $5 million in sales to $20 million in five years; Helped lead company’s rapid entry into rose business in 2010 and put the company in a position to grow nearly 1 million roses in just several months; Responsible for improving communication and systems operations across companies four different divisions.

Hobbies: traveling, reading and the plant business. “There’s not much time for the first two.” Favorite foods: Mexican food and the artichoke soup at Gino’s Restaurant in Salinas, Calif.

From the family files: Grandfather, Mike Kashkin, was a pioneer in bromeliads who traveled to the rainforests to bring new species to the U.S. and sell them at his store, Fuchsia Land in L.A.