A floral industry leader who many considered a mentor, friend and unparalleled big thinker died in late June.

Peter Ullrich, the former CEO and president of Esmeralda Farms Inc., passed away on June 29 surrounded by loved ones after a difficult battle with cancer, according to a statement from Connectaflor.

His death left floral industry members remembering his dedication to the industry — and his passion for helping people.

“Peter was truly one of my mentors growing up in the business,” said Bob Wilkins, owner of Delaware Valley Floral Group (DVGF). “His motto — ‘do it correct, or not do it at all’ — was such an admirable part of his business life.”

Those high standards likely propelled Ullrich and his companies to great heights, Wilkins added.

“Every one of his farms, you could do open heart surgery in,” Wilkins said. “Nothing was out of order, or constructed in a way that Peter or his work staff would not be proud of.”

Ullrich was born in Bad Wildungen, Germany in 1942. His parents operated a small flower shop. He moved to the United States in 1962 “with just $200 and a dream,” according to Connectaflor.

In the late 60s, along with many other part-time jobs, Ullrich began to make extra money wholesaling flowers. Twice a week, Ullrich would drive his tiny MGB to the airport and load up the little car with two or three boxes of flowers and sell them from store to store.

In 1972, Peter was one of the first growers to establish a presence in Latin America opening Flores Esmeralda in Medellin, Colombia.

Over the next four decades, he expanded his growing empire to include additional Esmeralda farms and breeding operations in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico and Africa. Marketing arms for these farms were opened in Miami and Holland. His farms and companies have supported tens of thousands of families throughout these countries over the past 44 years.

Working alongside Ullrich was like attending the “university of running a flower business,” Wilkins said.

“When we had our conversations,” said Wilkins, who opened a Miami office of DVFG in the third floor of Ullrich’s building. “I would leave so energized and with so much faith that the flower business was a great business to be in. Many of Peter’s thoughts about the future of the flower business, we have adopted and used at the DVFG through the years.”

In December 2013, Ullrich announced he would retire as CEO and president of Esmeralda Farms Inc. and the company would close its sales and marketing operation in Miami; Jose Concepcion, who had been with Esmeralda for 25 years in various management positions, would open Connectaflor to carry out the sales and marketing of Esmeralda products in North America.

“I confidently pass on the baton to Connectaflor,” Ullrich wrote in a statement at the time, adding that he was excited to dedicate himself to “more golf, and we all know what that means: less work and more fun… I look at this not as the end but rather a new chapter in what has been a very exciting journey.”

Outside of flowers, Ullrich was involved in other entrepreneurial endeavors including serving as the CEO of EAU technologies, the world’s leading provider of high volume electrolyzed water, used for commercial purposes including sanitizing, disinfecting and food processing.

Ullrich received many honors during his career, including the 2006 Society of American Florists’ Gold Medal Award and the 2008 LTK Distinguished Service Award from the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association.

Funeral services will be held at Oxley-Heard Funeral Home Saturday, July 9, 2016 on 1305 Atlantic Avenue Fernandina Beach, Florida, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.