Flores El Capiro: Flowers, Women’s Empowerment, & Community

An Interview with Alejandra Restrepo of Flores El Capiro

Flores El Capiro is a Colombian company that specializes in growing chrysanthemums and hydrangeas. Since their beginning in 1982, they have become one of Colombia’s largest growers of pompons (chrysanthemum). They are a world leader in transporting cut flowers across the sea. 

In 1997, a new owner bought Flores El Capiro. He kept the name and high quality, and he expanded partnerships and business ideas. By the end of 2008, Flores El Capiro had merged with other companies like Valley Farms. The company was focused on becoming the best chrysanthemum grower in the world. They also began to ship containers of chrysanthemums to the United Kingdom and Chile.

Flores El Capiro: A History of Quality

Today, Flores El Capiro boasts over 36 years of experience growing flowers. They have been shipping flowers to all corners of the world for 11 years. 

Producers Market had the opportunity to speak with Alejandra Restrepo. She is the commercial chief of Flores El Capiro. Alejandra has proudly worked for the company for three years. She gave us some insight into what makes the company unique. 

Our Conversation with Alejandra

Producers Market: What makes Flores El Capiro special, and different from other flower companies? 

Alejandra: Our high-quality product makes us stand out. Also, the specialized logistics we use to  transport fresh-cut flowers across the sea make us unique.

PM: Why chrysanthemums?

Alejandra: Our region in Colombia has the proper conditions to grow chrysanthemums.

PM: If you could only sell one flower in your catalog, which one would it be? Why? 

Alejandra: I would choose the Cushion White Baltica. It is so versatile and can be tinted in other colors.

PM: Is there a curious detail about your product that might surprise us? 

Alejandra: After almost 30 days traveling by sea, the flowers still have a long lifespan in a vase. 

PM:  What is your organization’s greatest achievement to this day? 

Alejandra: Our greatest achievement is definitely the maritime logistics we created for worldwide delivery of our flowers.

PM: We see you celebrate women’s empowerment! Could you share with us your vision of floriculture and the role of women in the industry?  

Alejandra: Women are very important to us. Empowering women is how we contribute to community development. Many women employees are the head of their families. Without our support, they would likely be working informal jobs.

PM: How important is Flores del Capiro’s relationship with its community? How does that shape the organization’s identity?  

Alejandra: Our community is part of our corporate DNA. And we are committed to our employees and the environment. Through community, we cultivate dreams.

PM: What do you think Flores El Capiro’s legacy will be?  

Alejandra: To be a company that cares about their people as much as they do about their flowers.

This legacy is well on its way to being written.

The company of Flores El Capiro recognizes that flowers do not grow or cut themselves. Therefore their people, all 1,800 employees, are their greatest treasure. To foster an environment of well-being, they offer activities for employees to get to know each other. These include family trips, festival and holiday celebrations, and incentives for long-time employees.

Flores El Capiro places a high value on the education of children and empowerment of women. They  recognize that the health and well-being of women and children improves societies as a whole. 

To this end, the company proudly hosts leadership workshops to build common values within the company. They also include the children of their employees. These workshops promote love through literature and writing. They focus on building awareness for children so they will become stewards of the environment. In the future, these children will be leaders in their communities. 

There are 754 women who work in Capiro. Of these, 286 are the heads of their households. These women are strong, persistent, and determined, among other qualities. They hold many important roles within the company. It is important to Flores El Capiro to celebrate gender equality and strength. Thus, they are committed to promoting women’s leadership—within the company and in the wider community. 

In addition to the empowerment of women in the company, Capiro remains committed to social responsibility in general. This commitment reaches to all their employees, the larger community, and the environment. They hold the belief that human beings are dynamic. They recognize the value of interwoven identities, cultures and histories within the company.

Check out Capiro’s beautiful flowers on their organization profile. While you’re there, have a look around for other companies that promote women’s empowerment in their work.