Meilland et Cie was firmed to Meilland International (see) around 1997. From 1947 onwards international sales were made under the umbrella of Universal Rose Selection (URS), located at Cap d'Antibes, France.
[From
Les Amis des Roses, 1947, 1st trimester, p. 5:] Nos semeurs lyonnais, MM. Meilland, Gaujard, Orard, Laperrière, Viailly, ont eu le bonheur d'être préservés.
[From the
American Rose Annual 1950, p. 187:] Meilland, A., Tassin-les-Lyon, Rhone, France; Meilland, Francis, Cap d'Antibes, France
[From
The Makers of Heavenly Roses, by Jack Harkness, 1985, p. 126-127:
Meilland-Richardier] The Meillands... offered to sell their nursery at Tassin to a competitor and friend, Francisque Richardier. [
Richardier encouraged the Meillands to retain 50% of the business...] In 1946, the establishment became Meilland-Richardier under the management of the latter...
[From
ibid, p. 129:] The Meilland organization has prospered under the direction of Alain and his mother, and is now a large, international business. To that prosperity, roses for the cut flower trade have been the main contributors, especially the rosy salmon
'Sonia Meilland', known as 'Sweet Promise' in Britain, and introduced in 1973. Sonia is Alain's daughter... [
Alain Meilland] established trial nurseries for cut roses in France and Holland, and production nurseries to supply the plants which glasshouse growers need, in Spain and other countries. Meilland's area of glass for research and trials is about 100 acres, more than twice the size of the entire cut rose industry in England.
