C.H. Robinson coordinates refrigerated supply chain to deliver millions of Valentine’s Day flowers on time
Key takeaways
- 80% of flowers move through Miami Airport within 24 hours, showing the importance of rapid air-to-ground cold chain transfers.
- Maintaining 35–38º F and 90–95% humidity preserves shelf life, emphasizing strict temperature control for perishable loads.
- C.H. Robinson delivered 98% of floral shipments on time in 2024, highlighting precise scheduling and last-mile execution.
C.H. Robinson is handling its annual Valentine’s Day operations to move up to 10 million boxes of flowers during peak floral season. The company, which calls itself a global leader in lean AI supply chains, serves 83,000 customers, manages 37 million shipments annually, and operates North America’s largest temperature-controlled logistics network.
The company manages every step of the flower journey, from growers in Colombia and Ecuador to retailers across the U.S., maintaining temperatures of 35-38º F and 90-95% humidity to preserve freshness. Cold chain coordination minimizes delays on tarmacs, ensuring smooth handoffs and last-mile delivery.
Key details of the operation include:
- Approximately 70% of U.S. flowers move north from Latin America during the three-month peak season from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day.
- Within 24 hours of being cut, 80% of these flowers transit through Miami International Airport.
- U.S. retail flower sales reached $9.8 billion in 2025, with Valentine’s Day driving a 2,500% surge in volume.
- C.H. Robinson delivered 98% of floral shipments on time during the 2024 season.
By tracking and optimizing each box in real time, C.H. Robinson adapts to flight cancellations, extreme weather, or labor shortages, keeping the cold chain intact and deliveries on schedule.
“What makes C.H. Robinson so uniquely fit for this job is our scale, end-to-end coordination, and adaptability,” Jim Mancini, C.H. Robinson VP of customer success, stated. “Moving so many millions of flowers between continents in such a short timeframe requires a fully integrated approach that aligns planning, sourcing, and execution, as well as the ability to pivot quickly when the unexpected happens—and to do it better every single year.”
