OUR
STORY
Meet Jennifer & Roel
Jennifer is a North Carolina native, graduating from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, with a BFA in dance. She owned and operated a dance school in Wilmington, NC, and upon marrying Roel, they moved their family to Bluffton in 2002 to raise their three sons. Born in the Netherlands, Roel’s Dutch background has been surrounded by farming and farming techniques. But after 20+ years of living in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, it’s safe to say their hearts belong here.
With a heart for serving others, Jennifer founded and operated Kindermusik Kids of the Lowcountry, a children’s movement and music class. She served as the fundraising chair for the Hilton Head Island Children’s Museum and was an active parent volunteer at her sons' schools. Jennifer’s love for people led her to become involved with Young Life as a development specialist for the Young Life Developing Global Leaders Program, connecting sponsors and building relationships with international students in developing countries.
Her passion for family and serving others has been the driving force behind Hardee Greens. Jennifer has set Hardee Green’s goals to serve and strengthen the community, while coming alongside area farmers—not as competition, but as a complementary and collaborative addition to the local landscape. Instead of finding produce flown cross-country in stores, her vision is to see local grocery stores stocked with fresh, locally-grown produce. Jennifer is also developing Hardee Green’s educational outreach program so that students can get involved through field trips and hands-on learning experiences.
After raising his family in the Lowcountry for the last 20+ years, Roel has grown a deep love for his community and a desire to see the area thrive. Together with his family, Hardee Greens was born as an answer to supply chain disruptions seen during the recent pandemic and a desire to see the region become more healthy, sustainable, and independent.
Starting his first business at the age of 23, Roel was able to travel the world, leading him to his first project in the United States. He moved to Wilmington, NC, and started his second business called Global Process Automation (GPA) in 1996 where he grew the company from a sole owner/operator to 50 engineers doing automation projects in six states across various industries including pulp & paper, power, pharma, and chemical plants.
In Wilmington, Roel met his wife, Jennifer, and went on to raise their three sons in the Lowcountry. Working together, they’ve volunteered for Water Missions in Belize, Central America, for two-and-a-half years, serving in the foreign mission field to provide safe, sustainable water systems to rural villages.
In 2018, Roel retired from GPA after 22 years. Still actively involved with three partners that bought the company, he established Professional Company Coaching to provide business-to-business coaching to help them establish healthy work boundaries to prioritize family time and healthy relationships.
“I love using Hardee Greens for a lot of reasons but the biggest are great quality, variety, and longevity, going hand-in-hand with incredible customer service and great pricing! And they are local to boot!”
Christopher Hewitt, Executive Chef/Owner of Hewitt Oaks and Southern Graces
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