About Us

Our Story

Plant Sentry™ is a new and exciting approach to regulatory compliance for the Garden Industry. Started in the late 2010s, Plant Sentry™ takes aim at invasive pests, plants, and diseases giving Growers and Sellers the tools they need to ship safely and successfully across the U.S.

To create the Plant Sentry™ tool, we created a comprehensive database that houses regularly maintained regulations and restrictions for all 50 of the U.S. states and parts of Canada. Each compliance policy is closely examined to determine whether or not plants meet the state requirements and are eligible to ship to their destination.

Working with the Compliance Office, our Chief Compliance Officer, Tom Buechel, utilizes the state certification programs to ensure that plant material is free from significant nursery pests, diseases, and invasive status. 

In the unlikely event that plant material does ship and falls into one of these categories of regulation, the Plant Sentry™ team quickly responds with their Emergency Response communication. Through the direction of the regulating body and the insight of our team, our emergency protocols safely and effectively outline the procedures to return or destroy the plant material out of compliance. 

Our services grew out of the need for easier to manage compliance efforts after experiencing firsthand the struggles of managing both regulations and a responsible business. It was from this challenge that CEO and Founder, Jeff Dinslage, developed Plant Sentry™ to provide a cost-effective regulatory management service.

Another seed planted for the idea of Plant Sentry™ was the SANC (Systems Approach to Nursery Certification) program that was developed under the guidance of the National Plant Board, AmericanHort®, USDA’s APHIS, and other Green Industry leaders. 

Plant Sentry™ is one of a kind, with its regularly maintained database and proprietary API function that offers regulatory compliance for every Wholesale and E-Commerce Grower and Seller.

With on-staff Horticulturists, Environmental Scientists, and Compliance Experts Plant Sentry™ offers the most complete and cost-effective management service for regulations throughout the Garden Industry.

Our Mission

Plant Sentry™ strives to uphold the highest of standards when it comes to the management and application of regulatory compliance. Our one-of-a-kind database provides real-time updates and access to regulations for invasive plants, pests, and disease throughout all 50 United States and Canada. 

By providing our clients with the opportunity to improve their business and the environment, we help reduce or eliminate their risk. Through our continued commitment to be the best, our clients and customers stay ahead of the latest regulatory challenges and developments.

Doing the right thing doesn’t have to be complicated or controversial, we do the right thing because protecting our neighbors protects us.

Our Team

Tom Buechel is a Horticulture graduate with an emphasis in Business and Industry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has spent the last 25 years learning, planning, certifying, and executing advanced growing practices by developing unique systems and utilizing exemplary teamwork dedicated to promoting a greener Earth.

With his powerful leadership approach, Tom remains active in the Green Industry. In the past few years, he has achieved significant accomplishments throughout the Green Industry. In Brian Bowles “Trees and Forests: A Colour Guide,” Buechel served as a contributing author to a chapter on tree propagation for forestry and arboriculture. As a SANC (Systems Approach to Nursery Certification) veteran, he has become thoroughly involved in improving the system alongside the National Plant Board, and has led the first nursery in the U.S. to become SANC certified. Recently, he has worked in unison with other founding members to create Plant Sentry™, the first compliance-based systems approach to help growers navigate the complicated regulatory environment with ease.  Finally, Buechel serves as an industry expert on invasive species both in his home state of Wisconsin and nationally. His commitment to regular speaking engagements on invasive species and certification processes at events and universities has further developed.

His passion, purpose, and adherence aim to enable Green Industry operations and their teams to adapt to a changing marketplace, advance sustainable growing practices, and provide both the consumer and landscape with healthy, quality plants.

Tom Reed

Technical Operations Manager

Working as an e-Commerce Software Developer is Tom’s third career.  His first career was as an Air Force officer serving 21 years in various operations and staff positions within the Space Operations career field.  For his second career, he supported US Strategic Command for 7 years as a consultant on long-term space operations requirements development projects. 

His first career interest and original college major was Computer Programming, however, he wanted to follow that dream as well into the private sector.  He went back to school for 2 years and earned an Associate Degree in IT to “upgrade” his computer programming skills for the 21^st century.  He is now in his 5^th year as an independent contractor currently working for Optimization, LLC, to support the e-Commerce software development and database needs of Plant Sentry™, among other clients.