Elite flower
Elite Flower is a vertically integrated cut-flower producer founded in 1991, operating nearly 2,000 hectares of farms in Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya to grow 1,000+ varieties and 2.7 billion stems annually, distributing wholesale to florists and retailers across the US, Canada, UK, and Netherlands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersMiami, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Elite flower does
Elite Flower (legal name The Elite Flower) is a privately held, vertically integrated cut-flower producer and exporter founded in 1991 in Colombia and headquartered in Miami, Florida. The company grows over 1,000 floral varieties across nearly 2,000 hectares of farms in Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya, producing approximately 2.7 billion stems annually and offering 75+ product lines spanning roses, market bunches, bouquets, fresh arrangements, and preserved blooms. Elite's operations span three production countries and four distribution markets (USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands), with six regional US distribution centers providing coast-to-coast B2B wholesale coverage, and dedicated cargo partnerships with Kuehne+Nagel and LATAM Cargo on the Bogota-Miami air corridor.
Elite makes money through B2B wholesale distribution of cut flowers and floral products to wholesale florists, retailers, and businesses worldwide, with quote-based pricing not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market blends enterprise field sales through US distribution centers with direct-to-consumer touchpoints via Instagram and Facebook, and the company participates in industry events such as the annual Floriexpo trade show. The company holds seven third-party certifications covering sustainability and ethical trade (FLOR VERDE, OHAS, ETI, GLOBAL G.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, BASC, Fair Trade USA), and operates two proprietary R&D platforms, Apex Horticulture and the Peter Hannaford / Elite Biotech Research Laboratories, focused on flower breeding, cloning, and pest management. Core production is increasingly automated via state-of-the-art robotics in fulfillment, and the company has positioned itself around sustainability, executing in February 2026 the largest Sustainable Aviation Fuel operation in Latin America for its Valentine's Day air shipments from Colombia to the US. Social programs include the Fernando Borrero Foundation (since 2000), which funds employee education and covers 90% of higher-education fees for qualifying students, and the Auki Project, which supplies vegetable patches to elderly communities in Ecuador.
Elite flower firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elite flower
- Legal name
- The Elite Flower
- Website
- https://eliteflower.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Elite Flower is a vertically integrated cut-flower producer founded in 1991, operating nearly 2,000 hectares of farms in Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya to grow 1,000+ varieties and 2.7 billion stems annually, distributing wholesale to florists and retailers across the US, Canada, UK, and Netherlands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elite flower industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cut Flowers & Floral Products
- NAICS
- Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Floriculture Production (111422), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Greenhouse Floriculture (Cut Flowers) (AFAGAHAD)
Keywords
Where Elite flower is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Elite flower business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Flower Sales: B2B wholesale distribution of flowers and floral products to retailers, wholesalers, and businesses worldwide through multiple product lines including roses, bouquets, market bunches, and arrangements.
- Product Fulfillment: End-to-end floral production and fulfillment services from seed to bloom, providing customers with unmatched floral experience through international transport and distribution.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Elite flower product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elite Flower is a vertically integrated flower grower and wholesale distributor that cultivates and exports cut flowers from farms in Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Its core offerings include roses, market bunches, bouquets, fresh arrangements, preserved blooms, and color-enhanced specialty collections sold primarily through B2B wholesale channels and secondarily via direct-to-consumer distribution across North America.
Product overview
Elite Flower is a leading global floral organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of cut flowers, arrangements, and preserved products. The core offering centers on roses (over 100 varieties including standard and spray roses) grown across company farms in Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. The product line includes Market Bunches organized into Focal, Basic, Fillers, Linear, and Greens categories featuring Alstroemeria, Carnations, Gerbera, Hydrangea, Lilies, Eucalyptus, and other specialty flowers. Ready-to-sell products comprise Bouquets (with named collections like Zodiac, Stardust, Orion), Fresh Arrangements (in water or foam), and Preserved & Timeless dried/preserved blooms. Specialty offerings include the Muse Collection of color-enhanced flowers (tinted Gypsophila, Craspedia, Limonium) and Color Enhanced Roses. With nearly 2000 hectares of production and 2.7 billion stems annually across 75+ product lines and 1000+ varieties, the company operates as both a flower breeder and distributor serving wholesale, retail, and consumer markets worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fernando Borrero Foundation: Foundation established to provide employees with education, financial support, and healthcare programs. Currently provides access to education for children and covers 90% of higher-education fees for qualifying students.
- Auki Project
Products and services
- Roses Premium selection of roses featuring 100+ rose varieties including standard roses and spray roses, grown across Elite Flower farms in Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya, available to wholesale buyers and retailers.
- Market Bunches Floral bunches organized by type into Focal, Basic, Fillers, Linear, and Greens categories, featuring Alstroemeria, Carnations, Gerbera, Hydrangea, Lilies, Eucalyptus, Gypsophila, and other novelty and filler flowers.
- Bouquets Top-tier mixed bouquets featuring distinctive floral designs for various occasions, made with flowers from Colombian and Ecuadorian farms in named collections including Zodiac, Stardust, Orion, Orbital, Cosmos, and Astra.
- Fresh Arrangements Pre-made floral arrangements designed by Elite Flower expert teams using highest-quality blooms, offered in water or foam formats suitable for holidays and special events.
- Preserved & Timeless Dried and preserved blooms offered in various types and colors designed for long-lasting display, including single luxury boxes, jewelry boxes, and preserved stems.
- Muse Collection Color-enhanced floral varieties featuring tinted Gypsophila, Craspedia, and Limonium available in pastel and bright hues for bold or subtle design statements.
- Color Enhanced Collection Specialty collection of color-enhanced flowers, including roses with artificially applied hues for unique aesthetic presentations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Produced 2.7 billion stems yearly across global farm network
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Elite flower
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Elite flower technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Elite flower partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Kuehne+NagelcoreLogistics partnership for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) operations. Completed largest SAF operation in Latin America using 130,000 liters to cover fuel for eight B767 cargo flights on Bogota-Miami route, reducing 300 tonnes CO₂e for transporting 495+ tonnes of Valentine's Day flowers.
- LATAM CargocoreAir cargo partnership for flower transport from Colombia to the United States. Eight B767 cargo flights on Bogota-Miami route for Valentine's Day flower shipments using SAF methodology.
- Apex HorticulturecoreFounding partner of independent R&D center focused on innovation, quality assurance, and enhancing consumer experiences through ground-breaking technology in floral industry.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Elite flower competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dümmen Orange: Dümmen Orange is a Dutch-based global flower breeder and propagator producing cut flowers, potted plants, and bedding plants. Comparable to Elite Flower as a vertically integrated breeder-to-grower with international production and R&D investment.
- Selecta One: Selecta One is a German-headquartered breeder and producer of ornamental plants and cut flowers with global production. Comparable to Elite Flower in breeding, propagation, and global supply of cut flowers and potted plants.
- Royal Van Zanten: Royal Van Zanten is a Dutch breeder and grower of cut flowers (chrysanthemums, lilies, lisianthus) and potted plants. Comparable as a breeding-driven cut-flower producer with international distribution similar to Elite Flower.
- Sunshine Bouquet Company: Sunshine Bouquet is a major US-based importer and grower of fresh cut flowers sourced primarily from Colombia and Ecuador. Directly comparable to Elite Flower as a large-scale cut-flower grower-importer serving North American wholesalers.
- Esmeralda Farms: Esmeralda Farms is an Ecuadorian-based grower and exporter of roses and cut flowers with farms in Ecuador and Colombia. Directly comparable to Elite Flower as a competing South American cut-flower producer for the US market.
- Mayesh Wholesale Florist: Mayesh is a major US-based wholesale florist distributing premium cut flowers to event florists and designers. Comparable to Elite Flower as a flower distributor serving the US floral trade, though operating as a wholesaler rather than grower.
Broad incumbents
- Ball Horticultural Company: Ball Horticultural is a large, US-based horticultural conglomerate supplying seeds, plants, and flowers globally. Comparable as a broad ornamental horticulture incumbent with breeding and global supply chain overlap with Elite Flower.
- Syngenta Flowers: Syngenta Flowers is the ornamentals division of Syngenta, breeding and marketing flower seeds and cuttings. Comparable to Elite Flower as a global flower genetics and breeding competitor; broader corporate parent (Syngenta Group / ChemChina).
- Costa Farms: Costa Farms is one of the largest horticultural growers in North America, producing indoor and outdoor plants. Comparable to Elite Flower as a large-scale ornamental plant producer with US distribution, though focused on potted plants rather than cut flowers.
Emerging players
- 1-800-Flowers.com: 1-800-Flowers.com is a leading US floral and gift e-commerce retailer. Comparable as a buyer of Elite Flower's wholesale volume and as a participant in the same end market, though positioned downstream in the value chain as a retailer rather than producer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Elite flower social profiles
Digital presenceElite flower compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Elite flower financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elite flower leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Elite flower funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elite flower M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Elite flower
What does Elite flower do?
Elite Flower is a vertically integrated flower grower and wholesale distributor that cultivates and exports cut flowers from farms in Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Its core offerings include roses, market bunches, bouquets, fresh arrangements, preserved blooms, and color-enhanced specialty collections sold primarily through B2B wholesale channels and secondarily via direct-to-consumer distribution across North America.
Is Elite flower a public or private company?
Elite flower is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Elite flower founded?
Elite flower was founded in 1991. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Elite flower based?
Elite flower is headquartered in Miami, United States, in the North America region.
How does Elite flower make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Flower Sales are the primary driver. The others are product Fulfillment.
Who are Elite flower's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dümmen Orange, Selecta One, Royal Van Zanten, Sunshine Bouquet Company, Esmeralda Farms and Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Broad incumbents are Ball Horticultural Company, Syngenta Flowers and Costa Farms. 1-800-Flowers.com is listed as an emerging player.
Does Elite flower have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elite flower.
What industry is Elite flower in?
Elite flower's product category is Cut Flowers & Floral Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAD, Greenhouse Floriculture (Cut Flowers). Its NAICS code is 11142 and its SIC code is 100.