It's the, "People That Matter"
Sustainable floriculture has been a passion for me over the past 30 years. Specifically the rights of workers on floral and produce farms throughout the world. Manatee Fresh will only work with certified farms that pass rigorous standards audited annually by third party agencies and myself. I personally visit every one of our farm partners.
I'm looking for growers that employ local workers, pay fair livable wages and provide the safety training and equipment to ensure they return healthy to their families each night.
- Robert McLaughlin | President, Manatee Fresh
FULL SERVICE CUT FLOWER WHOLESALER - PALMETTO, FL
Our trucks serve daily over 100 retail customers on the Gulf Coast of Florida . Retailer florists, event planners and farmers markets order daily from one of our friendly sales staff.
FULL MASS MARKET BOUQUET DEPARTMENT
We supply high volume retailers from our corporate office in Palmetto, Florida. With direct imports we can offer our customers the best the world has to offer brought together in one location and distributed to stores nationwide..
Sunflowers for Good project with Goodwill Industries of Central Florida
Manatee Farms Spath House in Bradenton, Florida
BOOK COMING SOON
SENSE OF SOURCE: An Industry of Beauty and Pain by Robert McLaughlin
From the mountains of Medellin to the streets of Bogota and Miami I have experienced the underside of an industry of beauty, civil war, drug violence and climate change. My experiences in the industry over 36 years have exposed me to CIA operatives in Haiti, venture capital infighting in Silicon Valley and corruption in Latin and North America. I've had my life threatened on two continents, involved in a car chase down the streets of Ecuador’s capital and gotten lost in the jungles of Colombia looking for coffee. This is an industry of beauty used to show our affections, soothe our losses and show our thanks in a very primal way. The gift and adornment of flowers goes back to the beginning of man. My time in this industry has been a lifetime and during some of the most interesting times of modern history.
From the Blog
Why are flower prices so unpredictable right now?
To meet the demand of flowers needing to fly to Miami, cargo agents are chartering extra flights and paying what it takes to get the plane.
- Robert Mclaughlin
Happy New Year and Valentines 2022
Valentines 2022
We have spoken with farms and industry freight/supply chain vendors about what to expect so here is what we have concluded.
- Robert Mclaughlin
Supply Issue Updates
Greetings Friends,
We want to give you all an update on the supply side of our industry. We are seeing continued disruption in supply since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Emily McLaughlin
Apopka, FL - Indoor Foliage Capital of the World
If you’re in the foliage industry, chances are that you may be familiar with Apopka, FL. The indoor foliage capital of the world is home to many of our locally grown plant suppliers.
- Emily McLaughlin