Oscar Fernandez, director of sales at Equiflor-Rio Roses, which grows and imports roses from Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, says he is motivated by trying to make each day better than the last. He is known at Equiflor-Rio Roses for his encouragement of others and his can-do attitude.
The Society of American Florists’ membership includes all segments of the industry — and that community is the heart of SAF. This bi-weekly feature will spotlight SAF members sharing inspirational stories, professional insights, and the opportunity to form new industry connections.
In 1994, Oscar Fernandez graduated from Equiflor-Rio Roses’ first management training program, where he rotated through every department to gain a full understanding of the floral business.
Now, he is the director of sales for the Doral, Florida-based grower, importer, and distributor. He is also known for his role as one of the main speakers in “Rio Roses + Romance = Revenue,” the company’s sales, marketing, education and design presentation for wholesale partners and retail florist shops.
As one of the Equiflor-Rio Roses’ earliest employees, Fernandez has seen the company grow from infancy into one of the most recognized brands in the floral industry. “I stumbled upon this industry at a very young age,” he says. “I could have never imagined that it would bring me to where I am today.”
Biggest Challenge. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Equiflor-Rio Roses’ management team met to analyze possible scenarios and outcomes for the business. During their discussions, Fernandez says the team always came back to this sentiment: “The flower business is very resilient. We’ve got this.”
Key to Success. Fernandez loves that his job is never boring and credits his success to the talented team at Equiflor-Rio Roses. He is known there and throughout the industry for his positive, can-do attitude.
“It’s always been said that people would love to drink our ‘Kool-Aid,’” he says. “The funny thing is that the ‘Kool-Aid’ is available for everyone — it’s what you make of your day at the office. You — and only you — have a choice to make it a good day. , we’ve always decided that having fun made us more productive and better at our jobs.”
Fernandez is also motivated by his aspiration to make every day more successful than the last. He strives to help others achieve that, too, by encouraging them reach their goals.
Best Advice. “Being honest and doing what you say you’re going to do will get you very far in this business,” Fernandez says.
Why SAF? Fernandez joined the Society of American Florists after attending a convention years ago. While there, he saw that SAF was uniquely positioned to involved all segments of the industry. He joined SAF’s Wholesale Council in 2015 and was asked to join SAF’s Board of Directors in 2018. Last year he became SAF’s president-elect. His favorite part of being an SAF member is having the opportunity to connect with people from different segments in the industry, all of whom are dealing with the same challenges and have the same goal: Selling more flowers.
Fernandez was recently featured on SAF’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Do you know a member who should have a chance in the spotlight? Email Stephanie Brady, communications and event coordinator for SAF.
Stephanie Brady is the communications and event coordinator for the Society of American Florists.
