Smithers-Oasis expanding production of Floralife® brand postharvest products in Belgium

Oct 1, 2010

Smithers-Oasis Company is expanding its facility in Belgium, adding manufacturing capabilities to better serve its customers throughout Europe for products marketed under its OASIS® Floralife® brand postharvest products.

“Europe continues to be a thriving market for our OASIS® Floralife® brand postharvest products,” said Eduard Kremer, Vice President Central and Eastern Europe. “We are demonstrating our commitment to this important and growing customer base by opening a manufacturing site located within Europe, where we believe we can better serve customers through just-in-time delivery and greater efficiency,” he said.

The new manufacturing capability is housed within an existing Smithers-Oasis facility located in Houthalen, Belgium. This facility, which currently serves as a distribution center for OASIS® Floral Products, supplying floral foam and accessories to florists and wholesalers regionally, has been reconstructed to accommodate the manufacturing of this product line under the OASIS® Floralife® Postharvest brand. These products include: Floralife® 100 Clear Hydrating Solution, Floralife® 200 Clear Storage Solution, Floralife® 300 Vase Solution and Floralife® Flower Food sachets. Smithers-Oasis markets these and many other postharvest products to floral wholesalers and retail floral shops which service the end consumer by bringing them fresher and higher quality flowers.

Chris Martens, Managing Director for the facility said, “Our customers are in the heart of one of the world’s largest flower producing region and we need to be able to best serve customers in this local market. Our ability to provide solutions for fresher flowers in a timely fashion and at a good value continues to be one of our key priorities.”

“We’re excited about this opportunity to bring manufacturing closer to our European customers. It should result in many benefits for the customer, including faster delivery at the most economical cost possible,” said Smithers‐Oasis President, Robin Kilbride.

Smithers-Oasis acquired Floralife, Inc. in 2007, offering great synergies between the two organizations. Smithers-Oasis invented floral foam and Floralife invented flower food, both of which revolutionized the floral industry. The full circle of flower care and floral design products offered under these two leading brands can touch every flower, from field to table, worldwide.