4th quarter 2009           

Volusia growers harvest sales from European trade mission

The Volusia County Department of Economic Development led a delegation of 30 growers, businesses and industry experts from Volusia County on a sales mission to Amsterdam Oct. 11 - 18. Mission activities include one-on-one sales meetings with potential importers, site tours and briefings with key Dutch traders and experts, and representing Volusia-grown horticulture at the HortiFair 2009.

Paul Mitchell, a business specialist with the economic development department, estimated that $750,000 in sales will have been made as a result of the mission to Amsterdam with more likely. In addition, the trip produced 15 solid sales leads from the more than 30 individual sales meetings held during the visit.

“Horti Fair is among the most important trade shows in Europe and is an essential horticultural event,” said Mitchell, who coordinated the sales mission and led the delegation. “It is an event where relationships are forged, sales are made, innovation is presented and technology is shared. It was intense, stimulating and productive all at the same time.”

Auction room at FloraHolland—shown with an auction in progress.

The Volusia County delegation spent months preparing for the sales mission.

“Agriculture is big business here,” said Phil Ehlinger, the county’s interim economic development director. “Exports of agricultural and natural resource Volusia growers harvest sales from European trade mission

Lush green Volusia-grown products are likely to generate green of another color, thanks to a recent highly successful European trade mission that could produce a bumper crop of sales.

More examples of displays at Horti Fair.

An estimated 700 exhibitors from 50 nations gathered Oct. 13-16 in Amsterdam for Horti Fair, one of the world’s largest horticulture trade shows. In attendance were 30 people from Volusia County, including growers and individuals dedicated to promoting Volusia County products. The mission was organized by the Volusia County Department of Economic Development.

Paul Mitchell, a business specialist with the economic development department, estimated that $750,000 in sales will have been made as a result of the mission to Amsterdam with more likely. In addition, the trip produced 15 solid sales leads from the more than 30 individual sales meetings held during the visit.

“Horti Fair is among the most important trade shows in Europe and is an essential horticultural event,” said Mitchell, who coordinated the sales mission and led the delegation. “It is an event where relationships are forged, sales are made, innovation is presented and technology is shared. It was intense, stimulating and productive all at the same time.”

The Volusia County delegation spent months preparing for the sales mission.

“Agriculture is big business here,” said Phil Ehlinger, the county’s interim economic development director. “Exports of agricultural and natural resource products from Volusia County businesses totaled $293 million in 2008, with horticultural products accounting for 60 percent or $175 million of that. Horti Fair was an extraordinary opportunity to promote horticultural exports from Volusia County and to do so in a unified way, branding locally produced and exported products in the process.”

Local growers and related businesses that participated in the event included Art Gallery Gardens—Daylily Hybrids; Bill Newbold Ferneries; Central Florida Fern Cooperative; Donaldson’s Ornamentals Inc.; Emporia Farms; FernTrust Inc.; Forest Groves Inc.; Nature’s Foliage; Pierson Supply Company; Quality Growers Floral Company; The Water Shed Laboratories; Tiki Export Company; and Wm. F. Puckett Inc.

The sales mission was organized by the Volusia County Department of Economic Development in cooperation with the Volusia County Extension Service, the U.S. Commercial Service and Foreign Agriculture Service at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague and Enterprise Florida, which provided an international trade development grant of $60,000. Participants paid their own expenses, but were reimbursed $2,000 each under the terms of the grant.