Dole Flowers cutting workers, operations

Dole Flowers cutting workers, operations Dole Food Company, Inc. said Thursday that it is restructuring its Dole Fresh Flowers (DFF) division, closing flower operations in Ecuador and two farms in Colombia, and eliminating nearly 3,500 jobs, mostly in South America.
   The unexpected announcement created strong ripples in Miami, where flowers are the leading air cargo import at Miami International Airport. Colombia accounts for about 60 percent of all flower imports into the U.S., and most of those flowers move through Miami.
   Dole Flowers said it had laid off 50 of the 250 workers it has at its Miami facilities. It is laying off more than 2,100 workers at farms in Colombia and Ecuador. It will also downsize other flower operations to eliminate another 1,275 employees, and will lay off about 35 percent of its sales force and 29 percent of its administrative and management employees.
   Just how much impact the changes will ultimately have in Miami remains to be seen.
   According to a report in the Miami Herald, some flower distribution companies and freight forwarders expect the lost volumes from Dole will be replaced by other companies because of strong market demand, meaning MIA flower volumes may not be significantly reduced.
   Dole said its decision to restructure its international flower operations was caused by increased competition from producers in Asia and Africa, where flowers are produced at lower costs.
   Dole plans to focus more on high-value flower products and varieties, a statement from the company said.