Farmers’ West helps grow vegetables, herbs to feed homeless, teaches job skills
Farmers’ West Flowers & Bouquets in Carpinteria, CA, is teaming up for another year with community groups to feed the homeless and teach them cooking skills so they can get jobs at local restaurants and cafes.
Kerry’s, one of Florida’s larger flower growers, in foreclosure over 128 acres
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Kerry’s Nursery, one of the larger flower growers in Florida, was exhibiting at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition here in a large and stylish booth, although it is facing a foreclosure lawsuit on 128 acres of property in Homestead and Apopka, FL. The South Florida Business Journal reported Jan. 14 that the legal action was filed late last year by the Florida Federal Land Bank Association.
Floral designers to hold meeting in Puerto Rico
“Explore beyond the Shore” is the theme of the 2013 American Institute of Floral Designers Southern Conference to be held April 11-14 in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. The four-day conference will offer an opportunity to explore Old San Juan and participate in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” opening reception and costume party, according to an AIFD news release.
Working together to deliver the goods on floral holidays
Every year at about this time, retailers, floral importers, shippers, consolidators and transporters are sitting down and evaluating their supply chain planning and execution for one of the most important floral holidays of the year.
While floral retailers are busy putting the finishing touches on in-store merchandising, the rest of the industry is evaluating how to improve speed to market, reduce bottlenecks, and extend vase life through a complex, temperature-controlled, international supply chain.
World Floral Expo up to 50 exhibitors
The World Floral Expo had registered about 50 exhibitors from 12 nations as of mid-January. The show runs March 13-15 and is returning to New York for its second straight year after a decade in Miami.
Jasper van Dijk, marketing manager for show organizer HPP Exhibitions in Holland, indicated Jan. 18 that he had booked 47 exhibitors from a dozen countries: Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Holland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Russia, South Africa and the United States.
Mark Munger joins MCL Fresh as vice president of sales and marketing
Mark Munger, formerly vice president of marketing at Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce in San Diego, has left A&W after 10 years to join MCL Fresh in Los Angeles as vice president of sales and marketing, a newly created position. He started in his new position Feb. 1.
Kitayama Bros.’ Valentine crop damaged by tornado
A weak tornado damaged greenhouses and destroyed about a fourth of the Valentine’s Day lisianthus crop Dec. 22 at Kitayama Bros., a cut-flower grower in Watsonville, CA. “It was a freak occurrence, [a waterspout that] came ashore on a Saturday morning, traveled about a mile and lasted only three minutes,” said Robert Kitayama, president and chief executive officer of the company.
TPIE draws 6,000 attendees to view exhibits, new products
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — An estimated 6,000 industry professionals attended the 40th annual edition of the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition Jan. 22-25 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Sponsored by the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association, the show had 400 companies exhibiting in 800 booths.
Flower Promotion Organization gives $900,000 to benefit trade
Bobbi Ecker of Florapros recalled seeing the billboards along highways in the Midwest promoting cut flowers. She spoke to a crowd where many wore yellow buttons proclaiming, “I help people express feelings with flowers!” Several in that audience at the 2011 International Floriculture Expo recalled hearing infomercials on research documenting the benefits of having flowers in the home.
Things look good for Valentine’s Day
At the end of January, things looked good for Valentine’s Day, one of the biggest floral sales holidays of the year. California was recovering from a cold and wet winter with plenty of flowers. There had been no big floods or freezes in Colombia and Ecuador. Shippers had laid on extra routes. Supermarkets and wholesalers had placed their orders.