Flowerauction.com, a marketplace for buying and selling wholesale flowers,
has been purchased by World Commerce Online, a provider of B2B e-commerce
solutions for the perishable products industry.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition will supplement World Commerce’s present offerings,
according to Mark Patten, CFO of World Commerce Online.
“Flowerauction.com’s business model is very similar to our own,” he said.
“We are adding 70 flower growers and wholesalers to our customer base and we
are acquiring personnel with domain expertise. Also, we are gaining access
to an entrepreneurial sales spirit. This is a very strategic fit.”
As part of the acquisition, World Commerce will incorporate its FreshPlex
technology to serve the customer base of Flowerauction.com. FreshPlex
Technologies allows users to trade via the Internet and assists in
overcoming such hurdles as time barriers and logistics.
“Using FreshPlex Technologies, World Commerce Online can build custom
e-commerce solutions built to our clients’ specifications,” said Michael
Poole, CEO of World Commerce. “Clients can choose from a number of options,
including template-based trading engine integration into an existing Web
site, or completely customized solutions, including a unique,
client-directed user interface and a suite of integrated application
services.”
Flowerauction.com, which launched in 1996, is regarded as a pioneer in
providing functional e-commerce solutions for flower growers.
