Five Decades of Excellence… and Counting
A lot has happened over 50 years in our industry, from the growth of South American farming to the establishment of supply chain distribution channels to advances in technology, including the development of new flowers and varieties. Continental Flowers has been along for that ride, and we are just getting started!
Our History
50 years ago in Miami, an idea sprouted behind the family’s flower shop as a new industry was born. The Fernandez family witnessed an early shipment of flowers from South America appear at their shop’s doorstep. They sensed this was the start of a transformation that could make flowers more accessible to the American consumer.
Embodying our “better blooms everyday” mantra first required becoming a grower– a step taken in 1985 when the company made its first investment to grow carnations in the savanna of Bogota. Over the years, proprietary production and joint ventures became essential to fulfilling our goal of serving the American flower industry. Today, we count on this strategy to provide our clients with nearly 60 categories of flowers coming from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico, as well as a robust line-up of consumer bunches and mixed bouquets for both mass market and wholesale customers.
Why Continental Flowers?
The best product Continental Flowers offers, is Continental Flowers itself. Having witnessed the industry transform several times over five decades, our strategy relies on a fundamental principal: Own the Solution.
Owning the solution starts from the ground up at both our farms and Miami facilities. Our data center, photo studio, and cooler storage design, we took decades of experience to design our facilities from the ground-up.
Utilizing our dedicated fleet, our team handles all inbound and outbound shipments. Our proprietary platform enables our team to have a full view of the operation and allows for end-to-end visibility in the supply chain.
Lastly, our in-house mass market creative team tirelessly working on product development to attract consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, to the world of fresh flowers.
What's Next?
In 2023 we exported the first rose stems from our expansion near our existing Bogota rose farms. We’ve invested 20 years of rose cultivation experience to bring to market appealing and consumer preferred varieties.
New mass market/retailer programs are bringing a hands-on, DIY experience to consumers. Blooms for Rooms, which allows customers to buy a large bouquet and then separate it into containers at home, and Petal Pairings, which offers buildable, coordinating bouquets and consumer bunches, are just two of the latest programs which look to attract a fresh audience.
Technology will continue to be a top priority in our development. We will look to extend our solutions into client’s businesses to create new efficiencies and offerings.
The next 50 years at Continental Flowers will keep one thing the same: the valued relationships we’ve established over the past 50 years, from our partner growers to our valued clients. And most importantly, our unique team united by our shared philosophy:
Better Blooms, Every Day