A lot is happening in the foliage market. Consumer demand is skyrocketing, and new players are entering. How is the market developing, and how will it develop in the future?
Let’s ask Joe Roberts of ForemostCo, Inc., a US-based company that was founded as Foremost Foliage in 1987. Since then, the company has undergone constant growth and expansion to become one of the largest importers of live plants to the United States.
But before diving into the foliage market, developments, and future expectations, first, a bit more information about ForemostCo. “We have two facilities in Florida. The primary office is in Miami, where the shipping and logistics, purchasing, and back-office operations are coordinated”, says Roberts. Winter Garden is the home of ForemostCo’s second office as well as one of its daughter companies, Phoenix Foliage, a 20-acre liner facility. “In 1999, Primeros en Follaje, covering over 88 acres of rich Costa Rican soil, was added to the family of companies to produce the finest ground cover and grasses”, he continues. In 2003, Ornamentales Sapo Verde (OSV), also in Costa Rica, was acquired to provide an additional 130 acres of total planting area. In 2010 Vita Farms completed the group of companies with its two locations in Guatemala. “The original 50-acre nursery lies just outside of Villa Canales and contains 108 greenhouses in full operation.” In 2017 an additional 185 acres was purchased in Jocotillo to support continued expansion.
