BUSINESS:
Houston Courts Costa Rica In Hopes Of Nation's Flower Business
By Jenalia Moreno, Houston Chronicle

Houston wants to pluck away some of Miami's flower trade and hopes some Costa Rican growers can help it do just that. Last year, U.S. companies imported $1.1 billion worth of flowers, seeds and foliage, but most were sent to the Miami International Airport for transport across the nation by truck.

Now, Houstonians are hoping to grow their own flower trade with a 61,484-square-foot air cargo facility for perishables at Bush Intercontinental.

"I would be a real happy airport director if I could just nick off 10 percent of Miami's business," Richard Vacar, the Houston Airport System's director of aviation, said Monday.

Trammell Crow Co., the developer of the facility that will be complete this week, touts it as the "perishable cargo's solution for the Americas!" in its promotional materials.

"It's logical for the products to come into Houston," said Jeremy Garner, senior associate at Trammell Crow, pointing out that within a six-hour drive of Houston live 20 million people who could be consumers of flowers, fruits, fish and other perishable items that can be handled at the facility.

The company is now negotiating with operators interested in leasing the facility.

Costa Rican exporters met with local flower wholesalers at a match-making session hosted by the airport and the Greater Houston Partnership on Monday. On Tuesday, they met with Houston flower retailers.

"We hope to generate more business with this trip," said Oscar Alvarez, marketing and export logistics manager for Del Rio Flores Tropicales Costa Rica, who brought miniature pineapples, gingers and heliconias with him.

On Wednesday, members of the delegation attended the World Flower Expo in the nation's flower powerhouse of Miami.

In Miami, airport officials said they are not worried about competition from Houston. The Florida city's perishable facilities, which are leased to airlines and cargo handlers, received 86 percent of all flowers and 69 percent of all perishables imported in 2005.

"I really believe that we control the Latin American market when it comes to perishables and we work hard to maintain our standing," said Bunny Schreiber, aviation cargo specialist of the Miami International Airport.

Airport officials maintain that dominance by traveling twice a year to flower-growing nations to meet with growers and detail how to export to the U.S.

But Costa Rican growers said the disadvantage of Miami is that flowers sent there by air are then transported by truck to other U.S. destinations.

"These are days that the flower loses its freshness," said Jorge Cotera, marketing manager for Costa Rica's Magic Flowers. "The biggest winner will be the consumer because they will have flowers that last longer."

Miami's 17 perishable facilities can get crowded during some holidays, said some members of the Costa Rican delegation.

"When there are special days like Valentine's Day or Mother's Day, that's when problems occur, during those peak days," said Bart de Lange, chief executive officer of CR Fresh. "We're just looking for different markets outside of the Miami market."

Costa Rican growers are hoping to increase their U.S. exports by focusing on lilies, cala lilies and other tropical flowers instead of competing with bigger players like Colombia and Ecuador with flowers such as roses and carnations, said de Lange, who is also the president of the Costa Rican flowers association.

A few deals may have been struck between Houston area businesses and Costa Rican growers this week.

Holding a handful of aralias and philodendrons, Jose Llamas, a buyer with Houston's Taylor Wholesale Florist, talked about importing the foliage from Marvín Rodríguez, commercial director of Costa Rica's Follajes Telón.

"We like the size and the quality," Llamas said of the foliage.