Costa Farms Earns Multiple Top Workplace Honors

Ariana Cabrera de Oña shares how Costa’s award-winning culture is helping grow the next gen of leaders

Miami, FL – Costa Farms, one of the largest horticultural growers in the world, has been recognized twice in 2025 as a Top Workplace by the Sun Sentinel Media Group. The company’s South Florida farms earned the honor in May, followed by a second recognition this fall for its Central Florida farms.

Based on confidential employee feedback collected by Energage, both awards highlight Costa Farms’ commitment to a people-first culture rooted in alignment, leadership, and growth opportunities.

Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, Arianna Cabrera de Oña shares what these honors mean, how they reflect Costa Farms’ culture across locations, and what’s next for the company:

Q: Costa Farms was named a Top Workplace in both South Florida and Central Florida this year. How does earning recognition in multiple regions resonate with you and your people?

Arianna Cabrera de Oña: These awards reflect feedback from our team across different farms, facilities, and job functions. It shows that our Costa Farms “love where you work” culture is consistent. That demonstrates we’re building something lasting: a shared sense of purpose, belonging, and pride in our work—that everyone on our team is a part of the Costa Farms family

Q: What makes Costa Farms’ culture strong across such different locations?

Arianna: We’ve built our culture around our H3 values: Humble, Hungry, and Hustle. Whether you’re on the production line in Miami or in a greenhouse outside Orlando, those values guide the way we work and support each other every day. We build on this through open communication. Every day, our teams kick off with a 5-minute huddle to connect. These huddles help set priorities for the day while also offering team members an opportunity to communicate any concerns and connect with our larger culture as a whole.

Q: How does Costa Farms support growth and development for team members at all locations?

Arianna: Growth at Costa Farms is about more than titles. We invest in training, learning and development, and opportunities for people to stretch themselves. We encourage continuous learning and innovation for all employees. From our Employee Literacy Education via our collaboration with Alfalit International to Backpack Drives, to our scholarships program (through which we’ve provided nearly $3 million dollars to employees and their children for higher education), we want our people to see Costa Farms as a place where plants, and people, grow.

Q: What do these dual awards say to the broader industry and to potential talent?

Arianna: They send a clear message that horticulture is a thriving, people-centered industry, and Costa Farms is leading the way. For current and future talent, it shows that you can build a career in this field where your contributions are valued and your voice matters. Recognition across all our farms, not just in Central and South Florida reinforces that this is more than a regional story; it’s who we are as a company.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you plan to sustain and build on this momentum?

Arianna: We treat culture like we treat plants: with ongoing care and attention. Awards are milestones, but the real measure of success is how our people feel every day. We’ll keep expanding well-being initiatives, leadership development, and opportunities for collaboration across farms. These recognitions motivate us to keep growing a culture where everyone feels they belong.

About Costa Farms

At Costa Farms, it’s in our DNA to grow, and we’re passionate about plants! So much so that we grow more than 1,500 varieties on 5,200 acres. Costa Farms is a leading global grower of tropical plants, specializing in producing high-quality foliage plants and flowering plants. With a commitment to innovation and sustainability, Costa Farms offers a diverse range of products to meet the needs of consumers.