This week's E-Brief shows off a new format designed for faster, easier navigation.
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The Senate introduced a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill, which is said to include language from AgJOBS, the bill SAF has long supported.
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After receiving feedback from importers, the Floral Marketing Funding Initiative has decided to "suspend its activities" until after next Valentine's Day, according to Charles Kremp, the group's president, and Red Kennicott, AAF, the Initiative chairman.
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SAF's consumer marketing committee is hoping to minimize the use of the "in lieu of flowers" phrase by encouraging relationships between funeral directors and florists.
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One of the country's popular family magazines has a flower-friendly message in its June issue: "It's no secret that flowers make us feel good... And research shows that they even increase life satisfaction."
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Louis "Lou" Brand, AAF, former president of the John Henry Company, died April 18. He was 84 years old.
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Thanks to a recent article in The Politico, a Capitol Hill publication that launched in January, Washington, D.C., political insiders got the word that there is more to the floral industry than roses and potting soil.
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When a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel called Jim Van Namen, a general manager of Carlstedt's Wholesale Florist, for a Mother's Day story, the veteran wholesaler didn't shy away from tough topics. In fact, he brought them up.
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Trying to tap into a more affluent wedding market? Want a place to showcase your design talent and market to the most discerning of brides-to-be? The Wedding Salon, a luxury bridal event in four states, is looking for florists.
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Want to keep your employees happy? Flexible schedules, bonuses and non-monetary perks are well and good, but the best strategy may be to simply sell more flowers. At least, that's a take-away message of a new longitudinal study from the University of Maryland.
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Palm trees in New York? Could be. Some experts are now saying that climate change “has already nudged up large swaths of the country by one or more plant-hardiness zones, (creating) a longer growing season and a more robust selection,” according to a recent story in The New York Times.
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In last week's e-brief we asked florists to write and tell us how their Mother's Day went -- view comments from readers here.
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SAF's 2007 Local Area Marketing Kit has gone digital!
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One member says that while she processes her roses correctly, customers often call, saying that the flowers' heads are hanging down within a day of the purchase.  Weigh in.
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Sixty-one percent of readers responding to last week's e-poll said that based on a preliminary assesment, they believed their sales to be up over last year's.
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A national poll of American consumers reveals fresh flowers were the most popular floral gift purchased for Mother's Day.
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