Bloomaker is Growing!

We are pleased to announce that we will bring our production of amaryllis bulbs in house for quality-control purposes after previously relying on third-party suppliers for sourcing, planting and harvesting.

We source the bulbs from our farm in Peru, where 50% of the world’s amaryllis crops are grown. The bulbs are shipped from Peru to our headquarters in Waynesboro, VA, (Augusta County), where they are planted, harvested, packaged, and shipped to retailers. This method allows us to control the size, number of stems, and number of flowers of our giant amaryllis. We are also able to control the timing of availability with the goal of making this traditionally winter flower available all year long.

We anticipate our largest holiday season in company history for our amaryllis blooms. We will produce and ship nearly 1 million amaryllis bulbs to stores across the country, including Costco, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Martin’s and Whole Foods, from our Waynesboro headquarters. This is a 425% increase in amaryllis sales in the past five years.

“The decision to bring the production of the amaryllis in house was necessary for us to be able to offer the most beautiful and highest quality blooms to consumers,” said Joep Paternostre, Bloomaker’s owner. “We also knew this decision would mean an expansion within and beyond our Waynesboro headquarters. Bloomaker has blossomed since locating in Augusta County, and our expansion plans will ensure we can continue to grow.”

“We’re proud to see the continuous growth of Bloomaker, both here in Augusta County and worldwide,” said Carolyn Bragg, Vice-Chair of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors and representative of the South River District where Bloomaker is located. “Bloomaker upholds the strong agricultural background of our region and brings its modern twist to both our agriculture industry and to the floral industry.”

A previous recipient of a Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development grant, we ship 14 million tulip bulbs, nearly 1 million amaryllis bulbs, and 500,000 hyacinth bulbs from Augusta County each year. Next up is a multi-million dollar expansion of our Augusta County facility. We currently employ 100+ part-time, seasonal workers to assist in planting, harvesting, packaging and shipping our blooms. If you are interested in job opportunities please check in with us here.