Manatee Fresh makes business pivot during pandemic to keep selling its flowers
After Manatee Fresh lost 80 percent of its business to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company had two options: close or change its business model.
Robert McLaughlin, who had served as chief sustainability officer for Manatee Farms, negotiated a management buyout of floral operations and pivoted Manatee Fresh’s business model.
The company expanded the wholesale and retail distribution of high quality, fresh-cut flowers, imported daily from around the world through a merger with Lowe & Behold, a leading Orlando full-service floral event and decor firm, said McLaughlin, who now serves as president of Manatee Fresh.
The merger enabled Manatee Fresh to add daily service to Orlando, Port Orange, Daytona, and Ormond Beach, to go along with previously established distribution in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota and Fort Myers
The merger also improved Manatee Fresh’s creative and design abilities, and helped the company remain viable.
The business pivot turned Manatee Fresh from seeing an 80 percent loss of business to seeing sales improve 6 percent, year over year, McLaughlin said Monday. “We are excited that it has gone so well.”
Manatee Fresh leadership has been an advocate, industry driver, and a influencer of sustainable floriculture for more than 30 years, the company said in a press release.
Having required all farm partners to engage in sustainable floriculture and provide a safe workplace for decades before these imperatives were popularized, Manatee Fresh speaks to consumers who expect retailers to carry brands that reflect their personal values, the company said.
In a 2018 Bradenton Herald story, McLaughlin shared that flowers from Ecuador, Colombia, Israel, Netherlands, Italy, Thailand, California and elsewhere were being kept fresh, but not frozen, in the company’s Palmetto warehouse before being shipped to retailers.
Manatee Fresh insists that every grower maintain the highest standards in how they care for their workers and the local and global ecology. With certifications including Rainforest Alliance, USDA Organic, Florverde and Fair Trade, Demeter Biodynamic, and Flor Ecuador, all partner farms are third party inspected annually, and personally inspected by McLaughlin.
Manatee Fresh partners with farms in the U.S. and Canada for high quality potted plants and flowers. Its primary partner, the 125-year old Manatee Farms of Manatee County, is run by a fourth-generation farmer and has employed thousands from the community.
“Sustainable floriculture has been a passion of mine over the past 30 years -- specifically, the rights of workers on floral and produce farms throughout the world,” McLaughlin said. “Both here and abroad, I inspect every farm and will only work with growers that employ local workers, pay fair livable wages, and provide the safety training and equipment to ensure workers return healthy to their families each night. Our passion for our people is what makes us different, transparent, and the best possible choice for our array of floral products.”
In addition to its sourcing and distribution expertise, Manatee Fresh also has a full-time team of floral arrangers who craft bouquets for mass market customers and event designers.
For more information about Manatee Fresh, visit www.ManateeFresh.com.
