Delaware Valley Floral Group and Finlays announce strategic alliance in North America

Delaware Valley Floral Group (DVFG) and Finlay Flowers (Finlays) are delighted to announce the establishment of a strategic alliance between FreshBlooms, DVFG’s mass market division, and Omniflora, Finlays’ US subsidiary supplying retail mass markets. The alliance provides DVFG/FreshBlooms the exclusive right to distribute Omniflora/Finlays Africa-Sourced product to all floral segments throughout North America.

Finlays’ flower farms currently include 350 hectares (770 acres) of production employing innovative greenhouse infrastructure, hydroponic growing systems and integrated pest management controls. In partnership with Finlays’ owned and managed farms in Kenya and South Africa, and partner growers in Latin America and around the world, Freshblooms and Omniflorawill work together to bring premium quality, socially and environmentally accredited cut flowers to valued customers across the USA. Finlays’ farms are Fairtrade and Rain Forest Alliance accredited.

Jack Chidester, DVFG’s CEO, believes that the strategic alliance with Omniflora and FreshBlooms is the perfect combination. “In addition to providing exciting growth opportunities, I believe that we can now deliver a complete range of flowers, offering the most sustainable products and varieties to our customers.”

Bob Wilkins, DVFG’s Chief Strategy Officer, commented:

“FreshBlooms enjoys unrivalled longstanding relationships with many of the finest farms in South America, as well as farms in Mexico and Central America, the United States and Canada, Holland and the rest of Europe,Israel and the Middle East, the Far East, and Australia and New Zealand. We are very excited about the opportunity to add Finlays’ world class farms to our portfolio."

Tim Blackburn, Finlay Flowers’ Managing Director, added:

We are passionate about growing and delivering sustainably produced flowers to our customers. Together with the experienced and professional team at FreshBlooms, we are confident that we can offer the highest standards of service and delivery with a clear focus on quality, innovation and customer insight.

Delaware Valley Floral Group is one of the largest floral distribution companies in the United States. The company has four operating divisions including Delaware Valley Wholesale Florist,FreshBlooms, Transflora, and Flower Transfer Trucking. With corporate headquarters located in Sewell, New Jersey, the company also operates out of facilities in Edison, New Jersey, Baltimore, Maryland, Miami, Florida, and Carpinteria, California

April 29, 2009