The Manatee Fruit Co. has gone through more than a few changes in the 125 years they’ve been in business. Now, the company has changed its name to Manatee Farms as they develop new ways to deliver fresh flowers, produce, and information to the public.
By including informational kiosks in some of their 50 garden centers and branching out their products to over 150 retail stores, the business hopes to offer high-quality goods while informing their customers at the same time.
The company started in 1892 as a lemon grower and distributor. When their lemon trees froze in the early 1900s, the Preston family shifted their focus to oranges and grapefruit, changing their name to the Manatee Fruit Co. in 1911 and later began distributing flowers. Now they’ve shifted once again to accommodate the growing needs of their customers.
This could be a result of the marked shift the world has witnessed regarding flower sales across the globe. A growing number of city-dwellers have increased flower sales while botanical entrepreneurs are putting down roots in social media outlets to appeal to a larger consumer base.
According to a recent article by Forbes, it’s been reported that millenials make up nearly 30% of all “gardening households.”
With gardening becoming such a popular activity among millenials, it’s becoming increasingly important to protect your home and the assets you care about. Nearly 70% of burglaries are prevented by the use of video surveillance, and you can even access CCTV recordings directly from your smartphone when you’re uploading your trendy botanical photos.
Indoor gardening has only increased in popularity thanks to social media outlets. Lulu Roper-Caldbeck, a garden designer in London, has coined the term “architectural landscape” to refer to beautiful shots taken with botanical elements used in unique ways.
She also attributes the rising interest in personal health to helping the surge in gardening.
“Flowers are a business of feelings. There’s a saying that flowers are the language of love, and they really are. When you think about the unspoken word, the word you can never really say, you can say that with flowers,” reports Whiting Preston when asked about the company’s transformation.
Preston hopes his business will continue to bring new technological advancements to the age-old business of selling flowers.
