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 by Me. I personally visit every farm partner.
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.
POTTED PLANTS
We partner with growers in the US and Canada to bring you the best plants and flowers for all your holiday needs. Our main supply partner Manatee Farms is located right here in Manatee County and have been growing for over 125 years.
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
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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
A Perfect Storm March 2021
There is plenty to be thankful for this year after a horrific 2020 for our industry. Covid is still with us, but infection numbers are down, there ...- Robert Mclaughlin
End of Year Wrap Up 2020 and Look Ahead
The new year is upon us and most of us have survived the Covid slow downs of 2020. Whew, let’s get this year behind us fast PLEASE.- Robert Mclaughlin
Ecuador October 2019
As many of you have heard there are strikes going on in Ecuador. In a nutshell the government has been subsidizing the cost of fuel giving a false economy to millions of people and businesses " What does that mean to me?"- Robert Mclaughlin
Russian Cut Roses
Unless you're an importer you might have never heard the term Russian cut roses. Since Ecuador began its production in the late 1980's and post US...- Robert Mclaughlin