One of the largest U.S. lily and dahlia growing operations is expanding and changing the name it's held since it was founded. As of July 1, 2008, Brand Flowers will become Farmers' West Flowers & Bouquets, Inc. "I wanted to 'go back to the farm' (when considering the name)," says Wilja Happé, owner of Brand Flowers. "We grow the flowers, we touch the flowers. I wanted to transfer that more to our customers . . . And 'West' shows that we're California."

Brand Flowers was established in 1990 and currently employs more than 300 year-round employees. "Most of Farmers' West managers and key employees have been with the combined companies for 15 years or longer," remarks company CEO Maximino Santillan. "Their dedication and hard work over the years has been instrumental in helping us reach this exciting new milestone."

Farmers' West has four growing locations on the Central Coast of California with more than 1.5 million square feet of cut flower production, including lilies, tulips, dahlia and gerbera among other specialty cut flowers, Happé says. It's also known for its hand-tied, spiral woven European bouquet lines, marketed to the mass as well as traditional wholesale market.

"We are thrilled to move into the future with a new name, continuing to be a leader in our industry," Happé says, adding that the business's largest growth area has been from the mass market. "Supermarkets are demanding quality, we can ship in water and follow the cold chain, so our flowers look fresher and last longer." As far as overall industry growth, Happé says it all gets down to price. "We need to demand a better price for our product. Poultry goes up, beef, rice, why not flowers?"

--Kate F. Penn
kpenn@safnow.org

  

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