Once the darling of the southern horticultural scene, the company employed 26 full-time and about 100 casual workers at its peak six years ago but hit hard times when its export orders dried up.
It was placed in receivership four years ago but the business was leased to another producer, Global Bulbs Ltd, which holds a lease there until May 2012.
The 8.3ha site, on the southern outskirts of Tapanui, was advertised for sale by tender last weekend.
Dunedin-based real estate company L J Hooker has listed the property.
In its advertisements, it said it was under instructions from the receivers to sell the property, which includes a three-bedroom house, large near-new workshop and offices, numerous coolstores and tunnelhouses and attracting annual rental income of $80,000.
Tulip International's beginnings were in the mid 1990s when then managing director Klaas Smak, who emigrated from the Netherlands, planted 3ha of tulip bulbs on his Tapanui property.
The company reached its peak in 1999 when it secured lucrative export deals abroad involving the distribution of six million bulbs to Japan, France, the United States, Australia, South Africa and Chile.
At the time, the operation was regarded as the leading figure in a movement to make Southland "The Holland of the South."
Existing operators, Global Bulbs Ltd, is made up of three of Mr Smak's sons.
Managing director Roy Smak told the Otago Daily Times, in an interview in September 2005, the new company had learnt from its predecessor's mistakes and would be building up the business over time.
Tenders for the property close at 4pm on August 1.
