Meet Jasmine Gomez of Orange County Wholesale Flowers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Gomez.

Jasmine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was lucky enough to born into the floral industry.. guess you can say I’m definitely a “flower child!” My family owns the largest flower wholesaler in Orange County, and through it, since day one I have lived my life learning anything and everything of flowers. From the growth processes, to receiving product locally and internationally, to distributing it to our large array of customers who have become nothing less than family. Since I was little, I spent my Saturdays with dad in our truck traveling to visit nurseries, learning about different and new flower varieties, how they grow and meeting owners of different growers. From washing buckets, sweeping floors, greeting customers, I’ve worked my way up being the face of our rapidly growing company, all while working by my father’s side. By taking all the hard work and values that he has instilled in me, I will continue this company and push it to its full potential one day. Through growing up in this business I knew that the older I got the more I loved it and wanted to do everything possible to grow with it and my father’s legacy. As he grows older, he is teaching me everything he knows while also giving me the motivation and support to learn further more than he can teach. With that, I knew I wanted to go to school for business so while I am currently working full-time and I also go to school full time at Cal State Fullerton, going into my last semester to get my double business majors in International Business and Operational Management. With this, I plan to open another location next year, and a few more locations the following years. My ultimate goal is to have multiple locations and routes across the U.S. and become the biggest example for my three younger siblings, that with hard work, family support, and determination, anything is possible.

Has it been a smooth road?
I believe my hardest encounters have been becoming a leading face in a male-dominated industry. Although many amazing females play large roles in the floristry end of it, there is predominantly male figures in the wholesale end of it, and that’s okay with me, as long as I continue to stay true to myself, I will carve my way through it. I am committed to perseverance. Most people thought I was crazy working full time and going to school full time because I was sacrificing a lot of what most 21, 22,23+-year-olds wouldn’t be willing to, so choosing to put myself through school, and choosing to work and build our company brand was something that I happily did and will continue to do so when I go get my MBA.

Another hardship I have faced and that I believe has and will continue to pay off in different ways is that as a second generation business owner and a first generation Latina I am consistently paving ways to break new business boundaries that nobody was willing to beforehand, although not knowing the exact outcome, and potentially risking criticisms and negative connotations from other established floral business owners… I believe has finally reached a point that is making a difference and is setting us apart from other businesses similar to ours.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are the leading wholesale flower distributors in Orange County for the past 30 years. Our company started out of a truck, delivering to local flower shops and have lead us till today… a 10,0000sq ft. warehouse with 3 route trucks delivering to flower shops all over orange county and inland empire. We currently import from over 100 of the leading flowers growers across the globe. Importing only Grade A of product from growers locally but also from countries such as Holland, New Zealand, Thailand, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Italy, Israel, Colombia, South Africa, etc. By working with these amazing growers, we are able to have access to some all varieties of roses, hydrangeas, tropical, flowering plants, orchids, and so much more. We currently cater to thousands of florists, event planners, designers, and people all over the U.S. getting highest quality fresh flowers, at a great price, with exceptional customer service. As a company, we are most proud of the growth we have made alongside our customers who trust us with the very details of their business: flowers for their weddings & events. We are a family based business from our employees to our customers. We don’t just sell flowers; we create relationships every person that walks in our doors. That factor alone, has pushed our growth beyond what we can imagine and will continue to ground ourselves on being a humble family business just like we started out. We have some of the greatest employees who’ve become family, with many that have been with us since I was five. They care as much as we do about this industry and the love and happiness it brings to others.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I am proud to be Californian and especially that we have been grounded in a location (Los Angeles and Orange County) that are lucky to work with some of the biggest and recognizable floral growers locally from down south and up north. We are centered in an area that will always want this industry. I believe this industry will always grow, and there is always room for more growth and innovations. But with growth also comes hardship, and one main issue that faces people in this industry is the lack of government encouragement or incentives for entrepreneurs that want to grow in their communities and begin small businesses and contribute a part to the economy. I believe that the biggest mistake newest comers have made is that they come swinging full force into an unknown industry and have burned themselves and their financial backings out, this industry is stemmed on successful florists, designers, wholesalers who have gradually built their successful businesses from the ground up over time, that is key.

Contact Info:

• Address: 603 West Dyer Rd. Santa Ana, CA 92707
• Website: Ocwholesaleflowers.com
• Phone: 714-542-6181
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocwholesaleflowers/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ocwholesaleflowers/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ocwflowers?lang=en
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/orange-county-wholesale-flowers-santa-ana-2
• Other: http://www.ocregister.com/2016/02/12/valentines-day-photos-a-special-day-for-lovers-and-also-for-flowers/

Image Credit:
Michael Goulding