In 2012 and 2013, a tulip-growing Dutchman Ton Karsten from the north of Holland and his son in-law Peter Steltenpool travelled through New Zealand to look at the possibilities of growing and setting up a southern hemisphere operation.
They grow tulips from January until April and were looking for a market to expand the cut flower season back home.
They found a suitable block of land in Southland and this became the New Zealand branch of Horizon Flowers to produce the bulbs they needed.