Meet the Team

As Co-Owner of Northwest Transplants, Neal incorporates knowledge and passion for agriculture with a drive for entrepreneurship and a fearlessness to create and accomplish the unthinkable. Neal utilizes his BS in Horticultural Science, from Oregon State University, to provide diverse plant knowledge and serve customers growing needs.

He holds one patent and co-developed two others for the horticultural and vegetable industries. He also holds life insurance and securities licenses in the state of Oregon. He has instructed seminars on Transplanting Technology and conducted plant presentations throughout the United States. He serves on the local school board and he actively participates in several industry and community organizations, as well as volunteers to secure the future of Agricultural Education and the FFA in the state of Oregon.

Neal and family are passionate about Beaver football and dearly love their Labrador retrievers. He believes strongly in the basic ideology his father Charlie Lucht, a leader in the Agriculture Industry, taught him: “Don’t complain about anything that you are not willing to invest your resources to change.”

Deb began with Northwest Transplants in 1996. As Client Information and Accounts Manager, her extreme attention to detail is very valuable, ensuring that all customer orders and information systems are up to date. With a BA in theology, she keeps the staff on the straight and narrow.

Growing up on a vegetable farm provides her with an appreciation for the industry. Her favorite thing about working at NWT is that,

“we help things to grow . . .seedlings, people, & our customers businesses. It is a great staff to work with. It feels like we all work for the same goal to more than satisfy our customers.”

Deb and her husband Carl have a son and daughter in their 20’s. She is active in her church and loves to read, sing, play guitar, ride bikes, play games, and eat!

Jed’s early education in fire fighting and Emergency Medical Training prepared him for a life in customer support and sales. He now serves as Sales Manager at NWT and considers himself an expert in conflict resolution! Since 2004, Jed continues to be a valuable asset to our team with his positive attitude, focus on customer needs, problem solving, and his solution-oriented way of thinking.

Jed and his wife amazing Stacey proudly welcomed their daughter Laney into the world in May of 2012. Jed enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing, golfing, and showing pictures of his adorable daughter to anyone that will look.

Eddie Hartrampf, a graduate of the school of hard knocks, brings 10 years of experience in vegetable farming and another 10 in contractor and lumber sales to our team. As our Nursery Operations Manager, Eddie strives to keep everything running smooth and efficiently through team motivation, mechanical skills, and product and equipment knowledge.

Eddie began at NWT in 1997 and appreciates the family atmosphere and being treated like a part of the family. Along with his wife Karen, the couple has raised their three boys, Craig, Austin, and Jared with an appreciation for the outdoors and strong work ethic. The family enjoys camping, fishing, hunting, and bowling.

Jim Smith rejoined the Northwest Transplants team in 2004. To customers, Jim is the man behind the wheel of their delivery truck, but at NWT he is jack-of-all-trades. He serves as driver, tractor operator, certified welder, and translator. In addition to holding his CDL, Jim has been a licensed pilot since 1985.

Jim loves working for Northwest Transplants because he gets to do his part in helping farmers grow our food. His BA in Business Administration and Associates in Risk Management brings valuable knowledge to the delivery and shipping component of the company. He studied Spanish at the University of Guadalajara and has been an asset for communicating with field managers and NWT staff.

When Jim isn’t working at NWT he lives in Mexico with his wife and three children. He enjoys metal fabrication, riding motorcycles, and flying.

Pamela Lucht is Co-Owner and Financial Officer of Northwest Transplants. She is a cornerstone to the team, bringing 23 years of accounting and management experience. Pamela received a BS from Oregon State University in Interior Merchandising and has continued to expand her education in accounting, labor and safety requirements, and professional training.

She prides herself on managing a team that has always been able to quickly adapt to change and takes advantage of their diversity in skill and background. Developing and marinating strong customer relationships are among her top priorities for the company…

“I am proud that we believe in our customers happiness and that we try our best to fulfill their wishes.”

Pamela and Neal celebrate 30 years of marriage in 2013. She is very proud of what they have created together, especially their daughter Lauren. Other interests include spending time with family and friends, volunteering, reading, going to the movies and the theater, and enjoying all God’s creations.

Lauren is the only daughter of Neal and Pamela Lucht. She recently graduated from Oregon State University with a Master of Agricultural Science and is excited to step into managing marketing and expanding customer services for NWT.

Santiago Uribe has been a valued member of our team and most tenured; employed at NWT since 1991. With over 20 of his 23 years in production management, he is most passionate about delivering quality plants to customers.

Santiago’s experience, dedication, and loyalty are unmatched. He never fails to show up early, stay late, rain or shine to see that plants are receiving the care they need. He has earned strong relationships and reputation with staff and customers through hard work and honesty.

Santiago brings skills at work home to care for his own garden. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends at the river and attending baseball games.