Over the years, the assortment of flowers grown in Ecuador has grown significantly. So why shouldn’t we offer this large assortment to the world, thought Gonzalo Luzuriaga. He has many years of experience in the rose industry in Ecuador and decided to establish a broker company named So Bella Flowers in August 2021, together with Boris Mantilla. They now offer over 40 different types of flowers, including tinted, preserved, and painted from 150 farms in Ecuador (and some from Colombia), and send them all over the world.
Boris Mantilla at the IFTF 2023, where they exhibited for the first time.
It all started with the idea of offering all kinds of flowers to all kinds of customers. “After years of working in the rose industry, Gonzalo wanted a company where all customers can buy all kinds of flowers,” says Mantilla.
Ecuador is known for its roses, but over the last few years, the number of different types of flowers grown in the country has grown. And the acreage of flower cultivation increased, too. “Ecuador has around 400 new acres of flowers. It has proven that the temperature amount of sun is perfect for growing other kinds of flowers too. So, over the last few years, more growers have increasingly started to produce other flowers besides roses.”
Since the establishment more than two years ago, they have been growing every month, explains Mantilla. “We found more clients and, especially the ones that are not custom to buy flowers from Ecuador and who want diversity.”
The flowers are sourced from different Ecuadorian farms, and sometimes also from farms from Colombia, and are then sent to countries all over the world. And not only the large customers can order flowers at So Bella, but also the smaller florists. “In the US and Europe, we use Fedex. This is a good option to do something special, as we can deliver small orders right to the florist’s doorstep.”
Another advantage of supplying a large range of flowers is that they can also mix flowers, Mantilla continues. “This is another interesting option for florists. We then receive the flowers from the different farms, and we can make tailored made bouquets for florists.”
Future plans
In the future, they are planning to grow in many different ways. “Despite we already offer a complete assortment, we will continue to grow and add new varieties whenever possible. Also, we want to grow in the ways we send flowers as we want to explore all options. Then, we want to grow in the fruit area too. We already offer papaya, and we are planning to add more fruits in the future. The addition of fruits will be an interesting option for supermarkets. And last but not least, we want to plant our own flowers in cooperation with partner farms.”
For more information
So Bella Flowers
Boris Mantilla
Email: [email protected]
www.sobella.ec