Our Origins
Global Petals was started in 2011 by our then-young founders, Michael Lyons and Parth Kapadia. Michael and Parth were friends since youth and had a strong bond over their drive, entrepreneurial ideas, and appreciation for design in all its forms. While in college, Michael studied abroad in Ecuador and by happenstance found himself living with the family of a rose farmer. Over the course of months being on the sidelines of the “family business,” he learned that the US flower market was very different from that of Europe. From the farm’s point of view, Europeans had a higher appreciation for flowers and were more interested in uniqueness than Americans who wanted “mass market” flowers (i.e. wire services and conventional wedding floral design). In turn, some of the most unique roses produced were never introduced into the American market.
However, with social media just emerging, Michael and Parth believed these preferences were on the precipice of change. Global Petals was born to introduce these new and unique varieties to the American market. They came to learn that floral designers and their customers had actually always craved to find blooms that were as unique as they are. More often than not, those who considered themselves floral designers, not just “florists,” felt constrained. Local wholesaler, while essential, source flowers to serve the highest number of florists in their territory - not necessarily the floral designer who wants to stand out. These same suppliers also had the disadvantage of not knowing what they don’t know - i.e. they don’t see all the roses being produced that are never shown to Americans.
This gap is where Global Petals found its role in the beginning. By being able to serve only a handful of customers in each city across the entire country, we could convince the farms who never had an interest in America before to see that Global Petals customers wanted their specialty roses for exquisite design.
Our Company Today
In the early years, Global Petals served designers who typically had established stand-apart brands in major cities. However, over the years we’ve leveraged our experience working across markets with top designers to help the new and aspiring floral designers build their distinct brands. Our rose consultants work hand-in-hand with our design customers to select roses that enhance and expand their own design style and marry that style with the needs of any given client’s vision for their arrangement, wedding, or other occasions.
There are 3 distinct attributes you’ll notice that make Global Petals different from your local supplier.
How We are Different
We know you’re a designer first and a business person second
Your identity as a designer needs to come first, and our design consultants’ priority is to understand your brand and your style. That way, they can not only identify roses that fit your style but also ones that expand it.
Specialization is our rare advantage
We sell one type of flower: roses. Instead of trying to do it all, we want to be the best at roses because we know a stunning focal point can make all the difference. We have relationships with the rose breeders who biologically engineer the newest varieties. From there, we work with the farms that produce those new roses at the highest quality with the greatest consistency, which gives our customers unparalleled access to the newest roses (many of which are not featured publicly on our site). They’re also the most consistent in look, feel, size, smell, etc, so you can count on the roses being what you expect every time you order.
Being your partner means going the extra mile
Providing incredible roses is table stakes. To help our clients move out of the garage into their own studio and grow into million-dollar brands, our design consultants provide expertise in branding, marketing, pricing, and most importantly - exclusivity. With qualifying designers, we grant exclusivity within a geographic area because our clients come to be known for their roses. If others in your area start offering the same thing, your brand can be eroded. Our mission is to build long-term relationships that lead to lifelong growth and success.
Contact Us
We'd love to talk
If you’re a new or seasoned floral designer who’s looking to expand your brand and stand apart from others, reach out and one of our design consultants will be in touch. We look forward to being one of your “secret weapons” in your design arsenal.