When she was just 20 years old, Jessica Maravilla-English joined Grow West as a front office assistant, juggling two other part-time jobs and a community college class load. Nearly 20 years later, she serves as Credit Manager at Grow West, helping customers find financial solutions as they continue to grow alongside the West Coast retailer.

“I’ve been fortunate to witness the evolution of a family-owned company committed to long-term customer and employee success, proactively embracing industry changes to not only benefit our customers, but the rest of our employees,” explains Jessica. “Grow West has grown over the years through new acquisitions, industry partnerships and the expansion of available products and services for our growers. Our geographic footprint has also increased substantially since I started in 2002.”

Jessica’s long tenure at Grow West has seen her give multiple positions a try, but she found herself always gravitating to financial-focused roles.

“I started as a part-time front office assistant helping answer phones and supporting the shipping and receiving department,” says Jessica. “From there, I moved to the accounting department, assisting with accounts payable and receivables, and really enjoyed it. After several years working my way toward a supervisor position, I moved to help manage a new seed division in Clarksburg. There, I worked in seed blending, shipping and receiving, and invoicing, but knew I wanted to find my way back to accounting. I returned to Woodland as a staff accountant and trained with our credit manager. When she retired at the end of 2020, I took on the official role as Credit Manager.”

A Career That Mirrors a Long-Term Employer 

Jessica’s career path mirrors the opportunity and growth mindset Grow West has embodied over the past 20 years. Always looking for ways to help customers operate their business more efficiently, Grow West financial team members have evolved and advanced financing and credit services to keep up with the industry. One of the newest credit solutions Grow West currently offers is the AgSource Finance program. Available to all Grow West customers who meet the criteria of a credit review, the program offers unsecured crop year loans with lower interest rates than conventional loans and defined maturity payoffs and term schedules.

“We are so pleased to have this option for our customers,” says Jessica. “The program can be beneficial to growers who need extended crop terms at a reduced rate of interest. The loans are unsecured, and have no prepayment fees, so it’s a flexible option for some of our customers.”

Customers interested in the AgSource Finance program can fill out a credit application that undergoes a review process that only takes 5 business days. Jessica says it’s important to list crop information, including acres and crop value. The applicant is then notified of credit approval or denial by Grow West.

“It’s satisfying to know that my employer and team supports growth, whether it’s in a customer or an employee,” says Jessica. “Grow West has always been supportive throughout my career, offering employee training, community outreach, and the opportunity to try new positions. I see that same commitment to growth with services like the AgSource Finance program. We’re here to help our customers try new things without risking too much, because when they’re successful, so are we.”