Director of the company Noble roses, Azat Mourtazin tells about specifics of the flower business, preparation for the International Women’s Day and company success on Valentine's Day.
What did you start your flower business with? How long have you been doing it?
I got into the flower business in 2006 when I became the head of the greenhouse in the village Bogorodskoye (Tatarstan, Russia). There was a rose nursery of 1-2 ha. I worked in the greenhouse since 2006 to 2012 and got my first experience there.
What success have you achieved there?
It was a success to achieve stable quality, to increase productivity and become profitable. Our roses became known in Tatarstan, Bashkiria and other neighboring regions, where we delivered our flowers. Our flowers became popular. And the main thing, my personal success is the experience that I got. Since I have a degree in economics, I had a very faint idea of flowers, especially of growing and taking care of them. I had to go through all the difficulties to get this practical experience.
Where do you grow flowers?
For the time being, I have two greenhouses, one of them here in Tyulyachi. It’s an all-year complex, occupying the territory of 5,000 square kilometers. We grow seasonal flowers and only flowers. For the International Women’s Day it’s mainly tulips and also pot plants. The second greenhouse, of 1 ha is situated in Bogatyje Saby. It’s also an all-year greenhouse, we mainly grow pot plants there and planting material for the greenhouse in Tyulyachi.
What particular flowers and varieties do you grow?
This year we have planned to grow a little over 1 million tulips. As for pot plants, we grow begonias, primroses, cinerarias. That’s the variety we have for the International Women’s Day. Roses are now left only in the company name.
Click here for the youtube video (In Russian)
Click here for the youtube video (In Russian)
Are you planning to enlarge the scope of products?
That’s a part of the plan. Now I’m busy with stabilizing production in Tyulyachi. Production isn’t a simple process, one year isn’t enough to set it up properly. Maybe in a couple of years we will be thinking about expansion.
How did you become a resident of the industrial park Tyulyachi?
It happened very fast thanks to the regional government. I made a call, wanted to find out the conditions in the industrial park. The park management called me to make an appointment for the end of April 2016. On the day following the meeting, we signed the agreement and in the beginning of May started preparing the territory for greenhouse construction.
What conditions were you offered?
First of all, I was attracted by the fact that all the communications where already there and no investment in the land was required, it is contracted out. In addition, there are tax remissions. These are the main advantages.
Where do you sell your products?
Over at the city of Kazan, of course. We deliver wholesale supplies to Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Moreover, we started developing retail shops. Now there are 2 shops open in Kazan.
Click here for the youtube video (In Russian)
What is the situation with the flower sales?
Click here for the youtube video (In Russian)
What is the situation with the flower sales?
The flower market has always been a difficult one. Recently it has become even more so because the consumer purchasing power has decreased. We only survive because the high currency rate has made importing more expensive, while we can grow own products and have profit selling them cheaper than the imported ones.
Where do you import from?
We mainly import planting material from Europe; that’s seeds, various cuttings. Cut flowers for sale are brought from Africa, Ecuador, Columbia, Denmark, Italy and Germany. We have set direct delivery to retail shops. And the prices are quite competitive.
What flowers are in biggest demand?
Rose is the queen of flowers. We are buying roses mostly in Russia but also in Africa and Ecuador. Chrysanthemums, I assume, would be the second choice. The rest is seasonal. For the International Women’s Day it’s tulips, of course.
What is the most profitable season in this business?
March, of course. 40% of yearly profit is gained in this month. Both in production and in sales.
Click here for the youtube video (In Russian)
Valentine's Day has just passed, how did this effect the sales?
This year we had a much better result than the previous one. It’s connected with the fact that we managed to raise the quality of floral design and the quality of service. In addition, the shops have become recognizable.
It’s the eve of the International Women’s Day, how do you prepare for it?
Tulips are being cut at full scale. This year they have hit home! I assume it’s the most difficult but also the most significant year for us. Tulips and pot plants that we’ve grown are all either sold or reserved by now.
What is the advantage of your flowers?
Our advantage is first of all quality. We have very meticulous scrapping at the sorting stage. The period between the moment when a flower leaves the production and reaches the end customer is very short. Literally, we load the trucks and in the evening of the same day, the flowers are already in the shops. Our flowers are always very fresh.
Do you use any innovation in production?
As for sales, we try to keep pace with the tendencies. We have set a bonus program, for instance. There are various ways of getting bonus points:
1 – registration and first purchase gives 100 bonus points
2 – registration on referral, each participant gets 200 bonus points
3 – 10% of every purchase (no bonus over bonus)
Do you deliver flowers?
We do deliver over to Kazan city. This is a relatively recent service, we’ve only been delivering for 6-7 weeks. Our clients like the idea that they can order and pay for their flowers without leaving home, via the internet.
Has anything changed in the production?
The technologies don’t change much, we try to work in the same manner. However, taking into account the competitors, we have to study new varieties, try growing them, get new experience. Not everything is a success but year after year, we are doing better.
Do you have any role models who you gain experience from?
It is, unfortunately, hard to find anyone in Russia. We have very few knowledgeable agronomists. Not everyone is ready to share the experience. I have to think day and night about flowers, production, be here with no day offs, almost all day round.
How do you find partners and employees?
It’s easy in terms of employees, I have a very democratic approach to people. If I need to raise my voice at a person and permanently control that person, that’s not my sort of person. Employees should be fully responsible for what they are doing. What concerns clients, I value partnership. Always try to meet clients’ requirements, take into account their possibilities.
Tell us about yourself
I was born in this area. My father was a military man so we travelled around Russia quite a lot. In the end, when he retired, we ended up here. After school, I entered Kazan university of economics and finance. After graduation I immediately started doing business, at that time it was trade. It all started with a shop selling spare parts. Then I got to the greenhouse production in Bogorodskoye. If you like flowers and understand what’s going on with them you will get the result.
Is there any difference in the way of life of a regular person and a businessperson?
There is no 9 to 5, you work 24 hours a day. The family members understand that, although the kids do miss me, we don’t see each other often. Sometimes when I come home, everyone is already asleep, in the morning everyone is still asleep too, the same in the weekend. I intend to work like this for another 15 years or so, I have no intention to leave the business.
Source sntat.ru