Welcome to Protea USA!

Pink Protea Flower

In a world where any investment comes under incredible scrutiny, especially the stock market and real estate, Protea USA stands alone for the prudent investor to pursue. Growing Protea flowers with the variety they offer is a viable alternative. For many years, avocados made money for everyone. Now because of drought and competition from Mexico, the avocado trees are being stumped, and in some dire cases, removed. Protea USA offers an alternative to avocados and brings to the table an answer to the drought. The Protea plant, uses 1/6th the water that is needed for avocado production. Water, is the single most costly ingredient for avocados. Other areas such as Mexico are  not  a threat because of the proprietary knowledge and experience needed to grow this product.
We know that there is a market for Protea and we know how to bring your investment to fruition. We have done the due diligence needed for you and we can create a program that will realize a rate of return on your land.  Protea USA  knows that we can sell all the Protea flowers that we grow.

WHAT WE NEED IS PRODUCT!!! Further, we need investors who have vision and are entrenched  in the world of creating money. Allow us to show you how you can raise the most unique flowers in the world, make some money while doing so and most importantly have fun doing it.Protea USA looks forward to visiting you and make you a part of our Protea family.

Principals

Rua Petty

Rua Petty – CEO

Rua was born in Denver, Colorado.  He attended college at Western State College, in Gunnison, Colorado.  After returning from Vietnam, he began working for Target Corporation. Rua started in the field of community association work in 1980 as a board member of his personal homeowners association.  In 1983 he decided to pursue association management as a career and participated in forming Colorado Management and Associates, Inc. in Denver, Colorado to manage homeowner associations in the area.  As an owner of Colorado Management, he became Chief Operating Officer and President of the company in November of 1986 to 1997.  During that time, the firm became one of the leading association management companies in Colorado.  Since 1988, as a member of Community Associations Institute (C.A.I.), Rua taught professional association management skills for the Rocky Mountain and Utah Chapters and he was certified as a member of the national faculty of the C.A.I. He continues his ownership position in Colorado Management and Associates, Inc. today. Rua and his wife, Linda, purchased land in North San Diego County in 1996 and moved to Rainbow, California in 2001.  They own RJT Ranch which grows Protea flowers in the Rainbow, California area. Recently, along with Dennis Perry and Lawrence Kellar, Rua formed Protea USA with the mission of introducing and promoting the Protea flower to the U.S. market.  He brings vast business experience to the company that will assist in the operation and administration of the corporation. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Rainbow Municipal Water District, the San Diego County Water Authority and of the Rainbow Land Use Planning Group.  He is currently a member serving on the board of directors of the International Protea Association (IPA),  a member of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, a member of the California Protea Association (CPA) and a member of the VFW Post 1924 in Fallbrook, California.

Lawrence Kellar

Lawrence Kellar – President

Lawrence was born in South Africa.  He attended the University of Stellenbosch and Elsenburg Agricultural College.  Lawrence also attained his Certificate in Fynbos Cultivation and Management from the Agricultural Research Council Fynbos (Protea) Unit.  After Agricultural College Lawrence ventured to Austria, Gratz and worked in the 3rd largest glass green house for 9 months learning nursery operations.  Returning from Austria he helped manage his parent’s Protea farm in South Africa.  After attending the International Protea Conference in 2002 in Hawaii, Lawrence came over to California where he managed Rainbow Protea for the next 7 years and helped to build it up to one of the largest commercial producing Protea farms in California.  Along with Rua Petty and Dennis Perry, Lawrence formed Protea USA. Lawrence is currently the Chairman of the California Protea Association (CPA) and is on the Board of Directors of the San Diego County Farm Bureau Board.

Dennis Perry

Dennis Perry – Director of Nursery Operations