“We used to solely grow fresh flowers until 2011, when we noticed that the preserved flower market was getting very interesting. After much research and development, we started our production of preserved flowers in 2017,” says Fabian Herrera, CEO of Magnifique Rose by Rosa Tech in Colombia. Ever since, they have seen their demand for preserved flowers increasing on a daily basis. “The popularity started in Asia, after which Europe became an important market, and now we see North America becoming one of the most important.” Surely, there must be a secret behind such a high repeat customer rate? “Customers can’t tell the difference between our preserved roses and freshly cut ones. Yet ours last for longer than 12 months.”
Preserved or fresh flowers?
Herrera’s father started the flower business over 50 years ago, so there is no lack of experience when it comes to Rosa Tech’s flowers. About ten years ago, they decided to make a change. “We noticed that the market for preserved flowers was developing and becoming interesting for us. We spent years developing a product with a quality that we are very proud of. The petals are very flexible, you can’t tell the difference between our preserved roses and fresh ones. As they remain beautiful for more than 12 months, we are offering our customers a preserved experience.”
Achieving high quality
The roses are grown in their six hectares of greenhouses, and a different area is dedicated to their hydrangeas. After a careful selection and dehydration process, all the materials used on the flowers are non-toxic. “We replenish the flowers with 100% natural components and apply colorants that are used in the food industry. This is not only a more eco-friendly process but also ensures that our flowers are completely safe and healthy. While people may have the experience of preserved flowers feeling papery and artificial, our process results in soft and flexible petals. We guarantee that our roses will last longer than 10 months, but the ones I have in my office have actually already been here for two years and are still looking fresh.”
Future expansions
“While we were one of the first companies in Colombia to do preserved flowers, the global market has become very competitive,” says Herrera. “Yet our demand continues to increase and we are also looking to improve and expand our business. We are working on scented versions of our preserved flowers and are currently looking for distribution channels in Europe and Asia to partner with. We currently also have a couple of partners in the US who we are doing tests with. A new venture for us is going to be roses with stems, which we are excited to introduce to our assortment. Overall, we are very passionate about the flower business and we have many things in the pipeline that will expand our business, which we are very excited about.”
For more information:
Magnifique Rose
www.magnifiquerose.com