Floranova Set to Uproot from Lompoc

The City of Arts and Flowers is losing one of their major seed production companies to South America this summer.

Floranova is set to move their facilities to Chile after more than a decade in Lompoc.

Effects are already being felt through the Lompoc Valley.

“It’s the end of an era,” said Judy McKinnon, President of the Lompoc Valley Botanic & Horticultural Society.

McKinnon says Floranova is the last of three major seed production companies which have uprooted from the valley to Chile.

In the last years, Floranova would donate their leftover plants from their pack trials -a time when growers showcase their plants – to the Lompoc Valley Botanic & Horticultural Society’s annual spring plant sale.

These sales could bring in anywhere from $3,000 – $10,000 for the organization, which actively maintains drought tolerant gardens in Lompoc and gardens in the Burton Mesa Chaparral.

With the announced move, Floranova has not scheduled a pack trial, which means no donations, leaving the Lompoc Valley Botanic & Horticultural Society to cancel their sale and try to find alternative funding for future spring sales.

City of Lompoc Economic Development Director Teresa Galavan says they’re always disappointed when a company leaves but they’re hopeful Floranova’s 3-acre property will open up more opportunities.

We reached out to Floranova but they declined an interview.

Instead, the company redirected us to information which says “key personnel” will remain in Lompoc until March 2017.