Floralife

For 75 years, FloraLife has been solving the postharvest care and handling needs of the cut flower industry. We support the entire cut flower distribution chain from harvest to vase; from growers to wholesalers; and from supermarkets and retail shops to the consumer. Our products provide an ultimate enjoyment experience for the end consumer with solutions for pretreatment, hydration, transport & storage, and final food solutions for nourishment & conditioning.

William Bussert –a successful commercial rose grower– and James Sykora, Sr.–a cut flower wholesaler of Amling Co. in Chicago, Illinois– set things in motion with a joint venture in 1938. FloraLife got its start with the invention of the very first fresh cut flower food. Floralife, Inc. was a privately held company until 2006, when it was sold to Rohm & Hass, a worldwide chemical conglomerate. In 2007, Smithers-Oasis Company –a worldwide leader in floral foam and design accessories– acquired Floralife. With expanded distribution and research capabilities across the floriculture industry worldwide, our family of companies now offers the full circle of flower care and floral design products.

Located among the tall pine trees of Walterboro, South Carolina, the FloraLife facility houses our sales, marketing, manufacturing, warehousing, and research facilities. Our FloraLife research staff of Ph.D. scientists and research specialists is dedicated to optimizing the quality of fresh-cut flower life. Around the world, we have strategically located research facillities in major flower markets, which include FloraLife’s headquarters in Walterboro, South Carolina, as well as, at Smithers-Oasis Company facilities in Kent, Ohio; Nairobi, Kenya; Naaldwijk, Holland; Miami, Florida; Funza, Colombia; and Chunan, Chung do City, South Korea. In each location, we work closely with the local industry to solve the challenges of flower chain.

Our postharvest research laboratories publish regular research reports, which are available to the public. In our Walterboro, South Carolina laboratory, Chief Scientist Anil Ranwala, Ph.D. publishes our research updates for the entire fresh flower chain. Our updates include relevant and quantified data on a variety of fresh cut flower life cycle topics. Ongoing research has resulted in increased knowledge of the performance of specific plant types, resulting in enhanced products and services. The FloraLife® product line is based upon years of research and development.

FloraLife has a long history of involvement in the floriculture industry and is recognized for its active role as a leader in the cut flower industry.