Psychologists say that flowers can extinguish negative emotions, raise a smile, and create a relaxing atmosphere. The Lelica family, the founder of Geocentru, located on Hincesti Avenue, has managed to turn their passion for flowers into a profitable business, and every day attracts the admiring glances of people who are in love with these colorful and fragrant plants.
Today, Aurelia and her husband manage more than 2,000 square meters of greenhouses with ornamental flowers and shrubs. They started their business gradually, and at the right time, they turned to Microinvest for investment, with which they developed a mutually beneficial partnership. Find out what varieties of flowers you can buy from them, what the formula for success in the ornamental plant business is, and how they manage to keep up with the latest innovations in the field.
Aurelia, tell us when and how did you start your flourishing business?
We started exploring this field back in 2014. We rented a small greenhouse and began to deal with flower varieties, which at that time did not yet exist in Moldova. Our family fell in love with it from day one, but we were hesitant to expand. Then we decided to go forward with small but confident steps. Most of all, we are inspired by people impressed by such a unique variety of colors, in a hundred shades. It’s not easy, it’s a lot of work with flowers, but the great results motivate us to keep going. Besides, we do it with pleasure and put our heart into it.
What varieties of flowers do you grow and where do you get your seedlings from?
We grow more than 100 varieties of flowers in various combinations. We import seedlings, pots and even soil directly from Italy, one of the most developed countries in this niche. We have an exclusive assortment for Moldova, which includes both unusual flowers, such as mecardonia, sage, thunbergia, scaevola, and very popular flowers, such as surfinia, begonia, geranium, chrysanthemum. Our company focuses on quality and innovation. Every year we go to trainings in Italy, where we learn new and useful information about how to properly grow each variety.
How difficult is it to maintain more than 2,000 square meters of greenhouses and how profitable is this business in Moldova?
The main condition for growing large and beautiful flowers is hygiene. We do not use chemicals, provide ventilation in greenhouses and always maintain the right temperature. In addition, we have natural assistants – lizards, honored guests of our greenhouses, which keep the number of insects under control. We water the flowers manually so as not to damage the buds and provide the necessary amount of water. In Moldova, it is quite difficult to maintain more than 2,000 square meters of greenhouses all year round; there is no such great sales potential. Therefore, we grow flowers in the spring and fall, and in the winter, we use the space to produce and store sowing bricks.
What is the role of Microinvest in the history of your business?
Microinvest was there for our business when we needed it most. I found out about this company by recommendation, and soon we got our first business loan. We personally have very good cooperation. In our business, as in any other business, responsiveness and flexibility are important. For example, there are times when we have a lot of work to do and we can’t pay on the appointed day. I call our credit expert, and we find a solution together. There are also cases when we urgently need money; at Microinvest we always get a decision very quickly. Working with this non-bank credit institution is very easy and convenient. I always recommend it, especially for entrepreneurs.
What are your plans for the coming years?
First of all, we want to develop a culture of ornamental flower decoration in our country. In Europe, people have a special attitude toward plants, and you can see it in every yard and house. We are glad that more and more people in our country have fallen in love with ornamental flowers. At Geocentru we sell flowers both wholesale and retail. Often elderly people come to us wanting to buy potted flowers for their homes and courtyards, and we always try to provide affordable prices for everyone, whether it’s a large quantity or just a few pots. We plan to breed new varieties and, of course, develop existing ones. It is important to continue to like what we do and get support from reliable and responsible partners like Microinvest.
*Microinvest is the only non–bank credit institution in Moldova with international Client Protection Certificate. This certificate confirms a responsible and transparent lending process based on the principles of respectful customer service, fair and equitable treatment.