Revealing the secrets of a small town in Ecuador 

Welcome to my personal experience in Cuenca, Ecuador. I’m Rick Hubbert, an Ex-Pat from Washington state. My home for the past twelve years has been high in the Andes mountains. The year was 2010. At fifty-seven years of age, I started looking for the best place to retire. At that time, Ecuador was receiving much positive press internationally as a country that offered a low cost of living, excellent health care, and a year-round climate that many would enjoy.

 It was a bit of a stretch for me personally, as I had never even been to South America. I arranged for a month long vacation from my employer, grabbed my backpack, and headed off to Ecuador. I explored Quito, the capital of Ecuador. I found it to be a beautiful city, with a lovely historic central district. Then I visited the coast, as the Pacific Ocean stretches from Colombia to Peru. Finally, I arrived in Cuenca for an eight-day stay. I was instantly mesmerized by the city of Cuenca, with its Colonial buildings, cobblestone streets, and stunning beauty. I found the beauty of Cuenca to be awe inspiring. Four mighty rivers flow through the city, providing a calmness to the daily activity of Cuenca. These rivers are nourished from rainfall high in the Andes mountains. My retirement plan became clear. While in Cuenca I experienced a feeling, really a calling, confirming my decision that I was destined to be here. Upon returning back to Washington, I devised a two-year plan for divesting myself from the US. In twenty-three months, I was on a plane to Cuenca, to begin my life anew, as the next chapter of my life was ready to unfold.

The Journey of Flowers: The Seed is Planted

Recently I had the opportunity to visit with Juan Carlos, director of Ecuador Direct Roses. As I listened intently to the story of his humble beginnings, the setbacks, and struggles of building a successful business, I became enthralled by his reflections about the origin of his thriving international flower delivery enterprise. I quickly realized that I wanted to dig deeper into the history of this family to fully appreciate and understand the true significance of what they have accomplished. Over the next few posts, it will be my privilege to recount this amazing story, from its conception, its struggles, and ultimately its success.

The Early History

To understand the history of Ecuador Direct Roses, we travel back in time to 1859. Federico Malo Andrade was born in Cuenca in July of this year. Federico was an ambitious man, with a taste for adventure. In 1877, he traveled to Paris and London, primarily to study economics and law. At 27 years of age, he returned to his home in Cuenca, to begin a life of commerce and public service.

Federico was a visionary with the great purpose to creating employment opportunities for the Cuenca community.  He began an import/export business, exporting Panama hats to London, Paris, and New York. (Yes, Panama hats originated in Ecuador) Malo (as he was called) also was responsible for importing the first automobile to Cuenca, the first typewriter, the first electric bulbs. Bringing a car to Cuenca was no easy task, as there were no drivable roads between the coast, which had a shipping port of entry, and Cuenca. So Federico had the car disassembled so that it could be carried in manageable parts to Cuenca. In addition to building a thriving business and continuing his lifelong commitment to charity, he also found time to raise a large family. Large may be an understatement, as Federico and his wife Leticia raised nineteen children. I grew up with three older brothers and a younger sister. I remember my mother stressing out with the five children needing constant attention. Can you imagine what the daily routine was like when raising nineteen kids?

Federico’s generous nature and unyielding love for his country resulted in his becoming Mayor of Cuenca, then governor, and finally senator. He was instrumental in establishing schools and formal jobs for the people of the region. In the last years of his life, Malo purchased a large tract of land, high above Cuenca. Perched in the Andes mountains at an elevation of 9600 feet, this 1250-acre plot was, at his time of purchase, simply scrub and brush. However, some of the land was eventually converted to a dairy farm, which still operates today. Over time much of the original land was sold off. However, two members of the family, Rosana, granddaughter of Federico, and her husband Juan Carlos, convinced the family to set aside 200 acres of land to begin a farm dedicated to growing roses and providing jobs for people in the community. A dream was about to give birth to a reality.

Ecuador’s Rose Revolution: From Scrub to Bloom

It is at this juncture of our tale that the next chapter will unfold the beginning and ultimately the success of Ecuador Direct Roses. We’ll learn of the early struggles to establish the master plan for growing the finest flower farm roses in the world. We’ll feel the effect of the “dollarization” of Ecuador, a time when many business enterprises were forced to close their doors and leave many people unemployed. We’ll see the unyielding commitment from this family to their local workers who would come to be the backbone of their now successful company. This is a storybook adventure that continues to unfold to this day. I look forward to sharing this inspiring story with you. Stay tuned for our next chapter!