PLANTATION, Fla. — DHL, the world's leading logistics company, is making sure that spouses, sweethearts and friends have fresh flowers for Valentine’s Day.
Despite heavy rains in Ecuador and Colombia, which strongly impacted this year's growing season, and capacity constraints on northbound freight, DHL Global Forwarding secured three chartered aircraft to offer customers the ability to move flowers during this peak season.
The United States National Retail Federation projects this year’s Valentine’s Day spending to reach $15.7 billion, up more than 17 percent from last year. Cut flowers, especially roses, are one of the most popular and traditional gifts for Valentine’s Day, and the federation expects consumers to spend $1.7 billion on flowers.
Flower growers and exporters, primarily in Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica, have been gearing up to satisfy higher market demand for 2011. This year, producers started exporting for Valentine’s Day at least two weeks prior to Monday’s holiday. The main destination for flowers exported from Latin America is the United States. DHL ships flowers to Miami and Los Angeles international airports; from there they are distributed nationwide. Amsterdam and Moscow also are key destinations since Amsterdam is the world’s largest center for flower distribution and auctions, and Russia one of the largest single-country consumers of flowers.
“DHL Global Forwarding works closely with flower growers and exporters to make sure their delicate products arrive in pristine condition and in a timely manner,” said Heike Delgado, head of perishables for DHL Global Forwarding Latin America. “Being able to provide solutions that simplify the lives of our customers is what really sets us apart from many of the other players in this sector.”
Roses dominate the Valentine’s Day market and represent the largest share of flowers exported from Latin America. About 65 percent of the roses exported are red; the rest are other vibrant colors. Other types of flowers, referred to in the industry as “fillers,” are also shipped in significant quantities and provide a special touch to bouquets. These include aster, delphinium and hypericum. But many consumers opt for sunflowers, carnations, chrysanthemums and hydrangeas that also are cultivated south of the border.
Flowers shipped from Latin America to the U.S. are often used in ready-made bouquets sold primarily in supermarkets and discount retail stores and make convenient gifts for Valentine’s Day.
“Our business demands that we move perishables like flowers across thousands of miles, keep them fresh and deliver them rapidly and in optimal condition,” said Dan Boiangin, the chairman of Trans World Forwarding Inc. (TWF), a leading third-party logistics provider based in Miami which specializes in transporting perishable products that also include produce, dairy and meat. “Working with DHL Global Forwarding allows us to provide customers with innovative cold-chain solutions that ensure the integrity of their entire supply-chain — end-to-end.”
DHL Global Forwarding leverages its global network to provide end-to-end air and ocean freight logistics needs at the right cost while upholding the highest quality supply chain standards. Transporting perishables is time-sensitive so working closely with preferred carriers and offering optional air chartering services allows DHL to ensure the fastest delivery when transporting volumes that exceed planned capacity on regular flights.
Additionally, DHL’s customs brokerage capabilities ensure accurate document handover to the brokers, while real-time track and trace service provides the shipment visibility that many customers require during this busy time of the year.
DHL – The Logistics company for the world
DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and “The logistics company for the world”. DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 300,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting climate protection, disaster management and education.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL. The Group generated revenue of more than 46 billion euros in 2009.
Source: DHL
