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The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
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AIPH is responsible for approving the world’s most exceptional horticultural expos creating long lasting green legacies in cities across the globe.
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AIPH Blooming Economies & Cities to Inspire the World
AIPH Blooming Economies & Cities to Inspire The World 2.0. Up-to-date statistics from recent Expos hosted in Asia and Europe.
Learn moreAIPH hosts several conferences, webinars and events such as the International Grower of the Year award throughout the year. Read about these along with the latest news about the association’s activities.
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AIPH International Grower of the Year
The AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards celebrate the best of the best in ornamental horticulture
Learn moreAIPH’s key aim is to stimulate demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. We are committed to supporting growers in achieving this by protecting and promoting the interests of the industry.
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The AIPH’s Global Industry Intelligence Centre (GIIC) is an international hub for industry information and knowledge exchange.
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Country Profile - Thailand
The report contains insights on production and consumption of the floriculture industry in Thailand, imports and exports, and business opportunities
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Hillier Nurseries’ success is rooted in blending traditional craftsmanship with scientific precision. More than 20,000 trees are hand-budded and grafted each year by multi-generational growers, ensuring exceptional quality and resilience. At the same time, Hillier invests in advanced technology, including a climate-controlled growing house with sensor-led irrigation and DEFRA-funded water management projects, improving crop consistency while reducing water and energy use.
“This is a remarkable moment,” said Adam Dunnett, Production and Amenity Director at Hillier Nurseries. “I’m very proud of the team and I’m delighted that they’ve been recognised. Thank you to the jury and the other finalists. We’ve got a fantastic sector across the world. I’m proud to be part of this amazing industry.”
In addition to the Gold Rose Award, Hillier Nurseries also won the Finished Plants and Trees category, presented by Jack Goossens, AIPH Vice-President, and the Sustainability category, presented by Alison Jobic, Key Account Manager for Agraya.
The Jury commented: “Hillier Nurseries Ltd demonstrates outstanding leadership through its long-term commitment to plant quality, innovation, and sustainable nursery practices. Their influence on horticultural excellence and the wider landscape industry makes them a truly deserving IGOTY winner.”
Young International Grower of the Year
Finished Plants and Trees
Young Plants
Cut Flowers and Bulbs
Sustainability
In addition to the category winners, AIPH recognised the efforts of two producers with Certificates of Merit. Although these entries did not reach the finals in their chosen category, their commitment to the industry is worthy of acknowledgement.
Discover more about each of the Winners and Finalists of the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2026.
La Gaitana Farms cultivate a wide variety of blooms with the utmost respect for the environment and communities. The family-owned, independent company grows carnations and produces bouquets from its 43 hectares of cropping area. Their commitment to sustainable practices, technological innovation, and social responsibility has positioned them as a trusted supplier in international markets.
Camilo Bleier of La Gaitana Farms said: “It’s a big challenge to step into these shoes and keep improving every day, but we’ve done our homework. It’s a pleasure to be in this industry, it’s fun every day, and you can never grow tired of nature.”
In addition to the Gold Rose Award, La Gaitana Farms also won the Cut Flowers & Bulbs category, presented by Remko Muntinga, CEO of Chrysal, and the Sustainability category, presented by Sarah von Fintel, Key Account Manager for GlobalG.A.P. and G.N.N. Label.
The IGOTY 2025 Jury commented: “Growing in Colombia and distributing globally has pushed La Gaitana Farms to elite status in the production of Carnations. The company’s focus on sustainable practices in everything they do will help lead them to a strong and successful future. La Gaitana Farms utilises strong selection, implementation, and evaluation processes to ensure quality products. They continuously adopt new innovations in all areas and their efforts towards sustainability and adapting to climate change have borne results.”
In addition to the category winners, AIPH recognised the efforts of three producers with Certificates of Merit. Although these entries did not reach the finals, their commitment to the industry is worthy of acknowledgement.
“This year’s entrants to the AIPH International Grower of the Year awards have brought to us companies large and small. They represent some of the most forward-looking Horticultural companies on the planet, where research is developing new varieties and improved production techniques. It’s a thrill to see so many highly successful businesses investing strongly in horticulture for the future.”
– Tim Edwards, 2025 IGOTY Jury Chair
Discover more about each of the Winners and Finalists of the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2025.
Greenwood Plants is a landscape supply nursery which specialises in the new build property, commercial, and infrastructure sectors. With over 100 acres of production capacity, it produces around six million plants a year across its six nursery sites in the UK, and employees more than 120 people.
“The team will be so delighted to have won this award,” said Melanie Asker, Managing Director of Greenwood Plants. “They’ve been really excited and it’s an absolute credit to their hard work. It’s a great accolade and the support that we’ve had from across the industry in the UK has been amazing, so it’s something everyone can be proud of.”
In addition to the Gold Rose Award, Greenwood Plants also won the Finished Plants & Trees category, presented by Torben Brinkmann, Head of Projects, IPM Essen, and the Sustainability category, presented by Sarah von Fintel, Key Account Manager for GLOBALG.A.P. and G.N.N. Label.
The IGOTY 2024 jury commented: “Greenwood Plants is an innovative producer of landscape-ready plants and is a recognised leader in what they do. They conduct every action with environmental sustainability in mind and they have been proactive in innovatively marketing their products and the industry as a whole.”
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“From many high quality entries, it is always a difficult job to select those companies that should go forward for prizes in this important competition. Those that have reached this list can be sincerely proud of having done so. It is thrilling to see such high quality businesses operating in our industry.”
– Tim Edwards, 2024 IGOTY Jury Chair
Discover more about each of the Winners and Finalists of the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2024.
BTN is one of the largest and most respected growers of garden plants in Canada. They service garden retailers, landscape contractors, municipalities, and golf courses throughout Canada and the United States. With four farms in Ontario and one in British Columbia, BTN has a land base of more than 800 acres.
Jeff Olsen, President and CEO of BTN, commented: “We feel amazing, so blessed, to be honoured with these awards. It means so much to me personally and our whole team back in Canada. We’re so excited to tell them the news.”
Jason Rekker, National Production Manager for BTN, added: “The level of competition here is extremely high and we’re humbled by that. There are so many fantastic growers here so it feels very special for us to be recognised in this way.”
In addition to the Gold Rose Award, BTN was also awarded gold in the Finished Plants & Trees category, presented by Bernard Oosterom, Chair of the IGOTY 2023 Jury, and bronze in the Sustainability category, presented by Sarah von Fintel, Key Account Manager for GlobalG.A.P. and G.N.N. Label.
Bernard Oosterom commented: “Brookdale Treeland Nurseries stands out as a business focused on the future; with a wide assortment and a flow of new varieties it brings something new to the industry all the time. The business prioritises sustainable production and innovation with a commitment to knowledge exchange and growing a strong team. It’s dynamic approach has enabled it to develop new products and markets and is well founded to lead the industry in the years ahead.”
W: www.btn.ca
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“This year’s entries are very diverse and of a high level. They are professional companies that play an important role in their product and/or market and set an example for others. The entrants gave the jury a challenging task to arrive at a final verdict.”
– Bernard Oosterom, 2023 IGOTY Jury Chair
Discover more about each of the Winners and Finalists of the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2023.
Established in 1972 by Tom and Vickie Van Wingerden, Metrolina Greenhouses has grown to employ over 1,500 people. Their two locations in the USA comprise 20MM square feet of growing space. They grow and deliver live plants to over 1,400 retail outlets on the east coast of the United States, maintaining a focus on quality, innovation, and sustainability.
“It’s a great testament to our whole team, all 3,000 of our employees, everybody back in America, who made this possible. This Gold Rose is indicative of all the work everybody put in,” said Abe van Wingerden, co-CEO of Metrolina Greenhouses.
In addition to the Gold Rose Award, Metrolina Greenhouses also won Gold in the Finished Plants & Trees category. The award was presented by AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe.
Tim Edwards, chair of the awards jury comprising six internationally renowned horticulture experts, commented: “The Judges were enormously impressed by Metrolina Greenhouses, a company that started fifty years ago and has grown to an impressive size while managing the difficult passage from one generation to the next. While still boasting the credentials of a ‘Family Business’, this highly efficient horticultural operation is clearly driven by a need to innovate and improve at every level.”
“The Finalists represent a diverse group from quite different locations, showing that successful entrepreneurs can be anywhere. Serving different markets and using different production schemes, it confirms that innovation in all aspects is key for success.”
– Augusto Solano, 2022 IGOTY Jury Member
Discover more about each of the Winners and Finalists of the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2022.
Anthura is a worldwide specialist in anthuriums and orchids. As a breeder and propagator, Anthura is constantly working to develop new techniques, stimulate entrepreneurship and make the chain more sustainable.
Anthura reached a unique milestone for horticulture when its research and development department sequenced and mapped the DNA of orchids and Anthriums. The company has since invested in infrastructure, technology and people to translate this breakthrough into a more sustainable production of anthuriums and orchids. Years of innovation and sustainable product development have resulted in an unlimited assortment of colourful varieties. Due to Anthura’s knowledge of genetics and its expert selection process, it offers customers strong plants in amazing colours with long flowering periods. Anthura stands for innovation, expertise, pragmatism and entrepreneurship which are encompassed in its motto: “Unlimited in Varieties, offering unlimited possibilities”.
“The International Grower of the Year Awards 2020 received a high number of entries all of which scored impressively against the assessment criteria. The judging process was therefore more challenging but ultimately this testifies to the achievement of winning an IGOTY Award. The IGOTY 2020 winners are worthy of this highly prestigious accolade.”
– Tim Edwards, 2020 IGOTY Jury Chair
Discover more about each of the Winners and Finalists of the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2020.
Grown from three generations of passion and 100% focus on the breeding and propagation of potted Chrysanthemums, Gediflora has a leading position in the worldwide market. The company serves more than 30 countries which represents approximately 80 million cuttings per year. The company has over 50% of the market share in Europe, 30 % in the US and 40% worldwide.
With unique and exclusive genetics, Gediflora strives to secure its position as the specialist in ‘mums’. Gediflora’s mission is to make growers successful through their assortment of unique and innovative varieties which are easy to grow. Their ‘golden genetics’ (a complete, innovative and easy to grow assortment) combined with high quality service and enthusiasm enables Gediflora to excel in its field.
Through marketing efforts, Gediflora aims to boost the image of Chrysanthemums and encourage greater creativity. The slogan ‘Be Mum Be More’ invites customers to step out of their comfort zone and do more with Chyrysanthemums. Gediflora is a reliable and inspiring partner with a dedicated and enthusiastic team which enable the company to achieve its best each day. The company’s motto is “Dream, dare, do and do better!”
“The standard of entrants this year has been exceptionally high and we commend all businesses
that entered the 2019 IGOTY Awards. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be involved in the process that identifies the very best ornamentals producers in the industry, gives international recognition to their endeavours and rewards their passion.”
– Tim Edwards, 2019 IGOTY Jury Chair
Discover more about each of the Winners and Finalists of the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2019.
The Ter Laak Orchids family business has been growing Phalaenopsis plants since 1980. In that time, they’ve developed into a respected partner for many customers around the world. Their clients appreciate the results-oriented approach and typical Dutch trading mentality. In everything they do, they are guided by their core values: demonstrating ambition, respecting people and the environment and doing business in a straightforward way.
Ter Laak Orchids are located in Wateringen, in the province of South Holland. Together with their 140 employees, they grow more than 6 million Phalaenopsis plants every year. They have 125,000m2 production area spread over two modern, sustainable sites. They sell their plants to wholesalers, garden centres and retailers, who in turn ensure that consumers around the world can enjoy their Phalaenopsis orchids.
Flores El Capiro is one of the largest chrysanthemum growers and container exporters in Colombia and indeed the world. Delivering flowers to customers via the best sea freight transport solution and the best packing alternative, its container packed cut flowers reach the most distant markets, including Australia, with a transit time that exceeds thirty days. Today Capiro’s planted area covers 75 hectares, with plans to both reach 100 hectares and increase productivity to meet with customer demand.
To achieve customer satisfaction, Capiro assures the best quality, freshness, vase life and value for its customers at an affordable price, and seeks constant product innovation looking for the most beautiful and best performing varieties. It also provides its customers with added value products such as bouquets and flower enhancements like tinting. The company has several research programmes including biological products, new variety development, growing improvements, pest and disease control, all working toward customer satisfaction.
Capiro is socially and environmentally responsible. Not only assuring the welfare of its employees, but also the community, the company runs several social programmes with a focus on management, agriculture, logistics and human resource management. Sustainability and climate change is a key part of the business demonstrated through its environmental certificates: Florverde®,Rain Forest Alliance and Global GAP. Capiro’s departments continually take steps to optimise processes with specific efforts in recycling waste separation, implementing the latest illumination technology and irrigation system.
“This past year we got amazing coverage, literally all over the world. The owners and the 4,000 workers were all very excited. We were humbled and it really did motivate us to do even better. It really was a very huge moment for Costa Farms!”
– Mike Rimland, Costa Farms
Costa Farms is one of North America’s largest growers of ornamental plants regularly bringing new products to retailers on an international scale. It grows a wide range of plants, including houseplants, orchids, indoor and outdoor cacti and succulents, tropical shrubs, annual bedding plants, and perennial bedding plants. Costa Farms actively tests hundreds of new varieties in its Trial Gardens every year to find best-in-class products to offer to customers. It invests heavily in research and development and is continually trialling new growing techniques to improve product quality, company efficiency, and give a better experience to end consumers.
The Costa Farms family also takes sustainability to heart, seeking to make the business more sustainable and reduce its climate change impact. Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, Costa Farms is a third-generation, family-owned business with more than 60 years of experience in growing quality finished plants. Today Costa Farms employs more than 3,400 people in the United States, Dominican Republic, and China, and has some 4,200 acres of production globally. Along with thriving indoor and bedding plant divisions, Costa Farms operates merchandising and young-plant production divisions as part of its infrastructure, with operations domestically in South Florida and North and South Carolina, and abroad in the Dominican Republic and the Far East.
Growing flowering pot plants since 1930, starting with Cyclamen and later introducing Primula, Ranunculus and Campanula, today Schoneveld Breeding has a substantial share of the cyclamen market and owns a number of the leading brands in its sector.
The company has several research programmes and uses its own laboratory for research into seed technology as well as its own genetic material. Schoneveld Breeding also provides growers with the necessary support to enable them to produce high-quality plants through growing recommendations for young plants and finished products.
The jury was impressed by the business and their marketing theme, ‘connecting the chain’ which seeks to add value throughout the supply chain.
Peter and Danielle van de Pol were present to receive their golden rose. Commenting on their win Peter van de Pol said: “I am very proud to win this prize. We work with all parts in the supply chain to add quality and value. This is our focus and receiving this award proves that we are on the right track.”
Commenting on the results AIPH President, Vic Krahn said: “This has been an incredibly exciting evening, there was electricity in air. The winners are all extraordinarily happy, and so they should be because the entrants were really top quality. The judges had a difficult job, with a large pool to pick from. They had very difficult decisions to make and they have done a great job. This award promotes the best of the best in the world; I congratulate all four winners tonight and especially our gold rose winner, Schoneveld Breeding.”
W: www.schoneveld-breeding.com
The judges were impressed with Sheridan Nurseries’ commitment to and achievements in innovation, environmental responsibility, efficient production and people management.The nursery, which covers 400 hectares of hardy nursery stock and container tree production, is a major supplier to customers across Canada and the USA including to its own chain of nine Garden Centres in the Toronto region. The business produces two million plants each year including 600 perennial and 800 nursery stock varieties. It is celebrating 100 years in business this year. Sheridan Nurseries’ Chairman, Bill Stensson and President, Karl Stensson collected the award.
Commenting on the results AIPH President Vic Krahn said: “Sheridan Nurseries is a worthy winner of the top prize at this years’ awards and to win it for two years in a row really shows how special this business is. I know the judges applied rigorous standards when scrutinising the nominations and the positive comments they have made is such a compliment to all four of these winners. These awards are a celebration of the very best in ornamental horticultural production and I am delighted that we can recognise them in this way.”
Sheridan Nurseries is an example of a fully chain integrated producer. With a strong emphasis on new varieties every year, an excellent human resource and education policy, high quality standards, water management, and sustainable production policy Sheridan won the Golden Rose.
Playing a leading role in innovation in Canada, Bylands is an increasingly sound company with strong financial position offering diverse and complete mixes of hardy plants material.
Hillier Nurseries is a company with production of trees and shrubs, offering a wide range of trees both field and container grown. Hillier is the largest and most experienced grower of trees in the U.K. Hillier is renowned for its innovation and new introductions.
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