Flower sellers travelled from as far as Stornoway for the first day of FleuraMetz, based in Blochairn.

The Dutch-based firm plans to use the Glasgow branch as a template and aims to open further wholesale units in London, Bristol and Manchester.

Hugh Scott, sales director for FleuraMetz, is originally from Glasgow and said he wanted his home town to host the first British retail hub.

He said: "I haven't slept in about two months with the nerves from pulling all of this together so I'm pleased and proud that it's come together.

"FleuraMetz has 62 wholesale centres around the world - Glasgow makes 63.

"The company has planned to open in the UK for a while and because I'm from Glasgow I wanted the city to be the first."

The firm, which uses a giant 14m x 10m fridge to keep the flowers fresh, has brought five new jobs to the North Glasgow area but Hugh has plans to create more as the business grows. He also hopes to run a call centre in Blochairn where florists can place orders for dispatch around the UK.

For the grand opening, Hugh had to make sure every kind of flower was on offer to florists with £100,000 worth of blooms on display.

catriona.stewart@eveningtimes.co.uk