Esmeralda Farms Inc. closed its sales and marketing operation in Miami on Dec. 31, 2013. Jose Concepcion, who had been with Esmeralda for over 25 years in various management positions, launched Connectaflor on Jan. 1, 2014. His mission is to carry out the sales and marketing of Esmeralda products in North America. Connectaflor was established to serve as a direct link from the farms to the customers and will supply the North American market with Esmeralda and Esmeralda Breeding & Biotechnology brands.

Michael A. Mellano, vice president of production at Mellano & Co. in San Luis Rey, CA, was recently elected chairman of the California Cut Flower Commission. Mellano will serve a one-year term ending in December 2014, according to a commission press release.

“I consider it an honor and privilege to serve my fellow flower and greens farmers in this capacity,” Mellano said. “Based on the work the CCFC has been able to accomplish for our farms over the last several years, I’m excited about the road ahead for our California flower farms.”

The new year brought the horticulture industry a new trade association. AmericanHort formally launched Jan. 1 with the consolidation of the American Nursery & Landscape Association and OFA — The Association of Horticulture Professionals. The members of both groups have been automatically enrolled in AmericanHort. According to the organization’s news release, the effort to bring the groups together was initiated by the volunteer leadership of each organization, in order to better meet the needs of the industry and the respective memberships.

The surprise success of Andy Matsui’s gamble to transition his company to growing Phalaenopsis orchids more than 15 years ago also gave the company’s founder and president a new mission in life.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — An estimated 6,000 industry professionals traveled to sunny Florida, escaping dismal winter weather in much of the nation, to attend the 41st annual Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition at the Broward County Convention Center here Jan. 22-24. Around 400 exhibitors filled 29 aisles in the massive exhibit hall with 200,000-square-feet of tropical splendor.

Where does magic live? Is it in our imagination? Or is it real? That’s the question filmmaker Richard Hoffmann set out to answer with his masterful new family friendly IMAX short film, ‘Watermelon Magic,’ which will be shown at the National Watermelon Association’s 100th birthday celebration in Savannah, GA, Feb. 19-23.

Using unique stop-action photography to create movement (the 37-minute film consists of more than 200,000 still photographs) Watermelon Magic follows the story of Sylvie, a mischievous 5-year-old with a magic wand — and, unbeknownst to her, a green thumb.