Local Encinitas, California Ecke Poinsettia Ranch Sold to Dutch Company.

Ecke Ranch recently announced it was acquired by Agribio Group, a Dutch plant and flower grower, for an undisclosed amount. the deal has yet to be finalized  but Paul Ecke III said he expects it to be completed by mid-September 2012. Ecke said a number of factors played into the decision, most of them relating to the flower industry consolidating flowers are increasingly sold at retail and supermarket giants that demand standardization and other requirements from flower producers, making it hard for smaller operations to keep up.

In recent years the company hasn't been able to expand as much as it hoped because it can't access capital as easily as larger flower producers like Agribio. The Ecke Ranch name will continue, and will be a subsidiary of  Agribio. Management sales and flower-growing operations will remain in place at all locations and while "positions are being evaluated" there are no current plan to layoff employees.

This information is being offered by: Crescent Moon Realty, Inc.

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