Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses of Apopka, one of the largest greenhouse operations in the country, has been sold to Miami-based Costa Farms.
The sale was confirmed Monday by Jose Smith, chief executive officer of Costa Farms. Terms were not disclosed.
Best known for its Exotic Angel brand of houseplants, Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses, headquartered on Marden Road in Apopka, was established in 1971 and has more than 400 varieties of plants and 69 acres of greenhouse space.
The sale of the company’s assets, brands and business comes nearly a year after the death of Wolfgang Engelmann, a sixth-generation horticulturist and the son of the namesake founder. He led the company for 15 years after his father retired.
The Apopka company employs about 300 people.
“The Engelmann organization has done an outstanding job cultivating and keeping their brand strong with 40-plus years of hard work and dedication,” Costa Farms co-owner Jose Costa said in a joint statement released by the Miami company.
Costa Farms, which employs 4,000 people, is the world’s largest producer of ornamental plants.
Chuck Romagnoli, CEO of Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses Inc., did not return a message seeking comment. But in the announcement distributed by Costa Farms, Romagnoli praised the company’s buyer as sharing Engelmann’s demand for quality.
“We can’t imagine a better company to continue moving our brand forward,” he said.
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