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Headlines
Floral Talent, Bountiful Blooms in Palm Springs
Some of the best floral designers in the world are about to put their talent on display tomorrow in hopes of winning the $2,500 grand prize, or one of two $250 runner-up prizes, in SAF's 40th Annual Sylvia Cup Competition. "We have 19 competitors, many of whom have already won national, international, regional and state honors," says SAF's director of marketing, Jenny Stromann.
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Sarah Mischler of Mischler's Florist in Williamsville, N.Y. readies an entry in the Outstanding Varieties Competition. She and
her husband Frank Mischler, AAF, have
been co-coordinators of the competition
for more than 20 years.
| "It's going to be very exciting to see them work." The Sylvia Cup is sponsored by Eufloria Flowers, and the cash prizes are provided by Smithers-Oasis.
The event is one of two open to the public during SAF Palm Springs 2007, which begins this evening in California. SAF's Outstanding Varieties Competition is opening its doors to consumers for the first time. A total of 367 entries representing the best varieties and finest products from 36 growers will be on display Thursday through Saturday, and the news is already attracting media attention. Local station KMIR TV has planned to tape a segment for its early morning "Today Show" — an interview with SAF President Bob Luthultz, AAF — in the Outstanding Varieties exhibit area.
"This is such a great opportunity to show consumers the kind of quality product they can get from their local florist," says Jennifer Sparks, SAF's vice president of marketing.
For retailer and wholesaler attendees, the exhibit is a rare and valuable opportunity to be exposed to so many of the latest varieties. "We try to show our newest varieties" at the competition, says Peter Van Antwerpen whose company, Virgin Farms in Miami, has eight entries in the "Standard Rose" category. Van Antwerpen adds that, since newer varieties tend to be more expensive, they're less likely to be found at a mass-market retailer, so retailers scoping out the exhibit have an opportunity to get a leg up on their mass-market competition.
As this issue of E-Brief arrives, judging in the Outstanding Varieties Competition's 12 categories is drawing to a close. Winners will be announced at the convention's Kick-Off Breakfast tomorrow morning, before more than 300 floral industry retailers, growers, wholesalers, educators and independent floral designers who've gathered in Palm Springs, Calif., for SAF's 123rd Annual Convention.
The "convention is a great place to meet new people and to learn from the best in the business," says Lisa Greene, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, of Nunan Florist & Greenhouses in Georgetown, Mass. She's also looking forward to the Sylvia Cup Competition — as one of the contestants: "It's a challenge to show the best in the industry what you can do."
Learning from peers and building relationships that enhance their professional and personal lives are among the top reasons attendees give when asked what brings them back to SAF's annual convention. David Boulton, AAF, of Flowers by George in Arlington, Wash., says he always looks forward to "networking with [people from] all segments of the industry ... the cream of the crop. I always come home with something new and exciting to share with my employees."
Watch for more convention news on www.safnow.org.
--Shelley Estersohn
sestersohn@safnow.org
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Wholesaler Hosts Retailers at Proflora
A Tacoma, Wash., wholesaler is doing something that only a few years ago may have been akin to asking their customers to buy direct: they're taking their retail customers to a trade show to meet growers.
But Washington Floral Service Vice President Mark Berglund, who's bringing along some retail customers to next month's Proflora trade show in Colombia, isn't worried.
"The days of shielding a customer from a grower are gone," he says. "It would be possible that we could hurt ourselves doing this program, but I don't think so." Plus, given the realities of the channels of distribution, he adds, "my customers could go around me if they wanted to anyway."
Washington Floral Service's invitation — via e-mail, fliers and word-of-mouth marketing — to come on the 10-day trip was open to about 300 customers. Four businesses responded "yes," and there will be a total of 12 people altogether that will travel with the Washington Floral Service group including salespeople, other staff and spouses.
Berglund's goals for the trip are to build customer relations and get retailers' viewpoints on the fresh product, both of which, if attained, he says will likely outweigh the cost of the trip. "But ask me that [again] after the trip," he jokes.
--Cassandra P. Foster
cfoster@safnow.org
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Pokon & Chrysal Sells Pokon Activities
Pokon & Chrysal International has sold 100 percent of its Pokon activities, which include the areas of soil, plant food and insecticides, to the Dutch company Synergia.
Jim Kaplan, president of Chrysal USA in Miami, says it was a difficult decision to sell off part of the operations, especially because the Pokon activities were the basis for the founding of the company, in 1927.
"However, we found a strategic buyer for our plant food line that has other products they can package the line with and market to other countries in Europe," Kaplan says.
Company officials explain in a press release that Pokon & Chrysal's Pokon activities were not competitive in the European plant food market, although, it was doing well in the Netherlands.
The sale will not affect the Chrysal activities, and now the company will focus completely on its post harvest cut flower care market.
"It's going to allow us to focus 110 percent on the post harvest cut flower care products," Kaplan says.
--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.com
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Urban Outfitters Expands into New "Terrain"
The company behind the trendy retail brands Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People is moving beyond fashion and home décor into fresh flowers and plants. Using greenhouses as inspiration, Urban Outfitters, Inc., recently announced its fourth brand concept name, "Terrain."
During a conference call in August, discussing the company's second-quarter results, officials revealed little more than the name of the new brand, and that it would be launched in 2008. When the brand, sans name, was first announced in May, officials said the stores were inspired by "the greenhouse" and would be large and freestanding. Merchandise is expected to include lifestyle home and garden products combined with antiques, live plants and flowers. Details regarding how many stores and where they would be located, were not discussed.
"We have an outstanding opportunity to serve the affluent consumer by offering a unique brand that overwhelms the senses with an eclectic product mix presented in setting infused with beauty," says Richard Hayne, chairman and president of Urban Outfitters, Inc., in a press release.
The company already has three retail brands located throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.
--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org
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Newsmakers
Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks ... And Flowers
When asked what types of businesses usually sponsor professional baseball teams, most people might reply breweries and insurance companies. But Exotic Flowers is working to change that.
The Boston florist shop, which also has a Roslindale, Mass., location, has become the official florist (and a sponsor) of the Boston Red Sox. The florist signed a contract with the Sox in September, but has been working for the team since June.
Rick Canale, managing director of Exotic Flowers, says that this partnership allows the shop to fulfill any floral needs the team may have, including flowers for players' wives, other sponsors and playoff parties.
The sponsorship also includes some co-branding, so the store puts the Red Sox logo "everywhere but online," and the store's logo appears on the scoreboard and in the programs at games, Canale says.
"We had a lot of ties with the team beforehand," Canale says, of how they got the business. "We have been doing flowers for [individual] team members for years."
The partnership exposes the store to many different markets. "There are a lot of opportunities — [the team] sold out 400 games in a row ... This gives us instant credibility. People say 'If it's good enough for the Red Sox, it's good enough for me,'" Canale says. "New customers have come in said 'I saw you on the scoreboard at the game.'"
--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org
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Life at Work
Wedded to Co-Workers
They make lunch "dates," they vent to each other, they bicker, and they travel together. Sound like a typical husband and wife? Well take a look around your business; it could just be part of a growing phenomenon known as the "work spouse."
Human Resource Executive Online recently reported that in a survey of nearly 2,400 U.S. adults, 53 percent of women and 42 percent of men said they have had an "office spouse."
The article describes a work spouse as "a man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship, having bonds similar to those of marriage: special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, along with an unusual degree of honesty or openness."
Rodney DeVriendt, HR-personal specialist for the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in Minneapolis, told Human Resource Online these types of relationships can stem from having to work longer hours, having more women in the workplace and a growing emphasis on teamwork and collaboration.
The benefits of the "work spouse" are increased morale and productivity, while potential pitfalls are that they can make those outside of said "marriage" feel left out, or that they'll develop into the next step: real romance, which could bring all new problems into the workplace, as reported in a recent issue of E-Brief.
--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org
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Trends and Tips
Mea Culpa: Just Say It
Saying "I'm sorry" may be the two most important words you can say to customer. Just ask Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
In a recent issue of Advertising Age, writer Lenore Skenazy recounts the recent iPhone snafu, where Apple introduced the iPhone at a price of $599 each and then knocked it down by a whopping $200 two months later, thus making the initial buyers feel duped. In response to the customer anger at this move, Jobs apologized and offered reasons for his actions and an incentive for the customers who purchased the gadget at full price.
Did his "I'm sorry" make a difference in the customers' minds? Yes, according to Skenazy. "We who'd been peeved initially were suddenly charmed by a vendor willing to apologize and treat us like valued customers. And considering that this was right after we'd been treated as totally unvalued customers just goes to show you how transformative an apology can be, and how really good customer service can change a whole relationship."
The power of an apology forces customers to look twice and reevaluate their initial frustration at a company's actions. "So why isn't every company doing this — making the customer feel important or cherished or even better, right?" Skenazy asks.
For more coverage on the reach of Jobs' apology, read articles in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, and Bloomberg.com.
--Cassandra P. Foster
cfoster@safnow.org
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On-the-Job Drug Use Rises
Drug use in the workplace is on the rise, according to a new federal study.
The Workforce Management magazine article reports on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) study that finds that "of the nation's estimated 16.4 million substance abusers, about 15 million are working full-time jobs." This study occurred between 2002 and 2004 and had a sample of 128,000 people.
The study points to a direct correlation between high job turnover and absenteeism among substance users. "More than 12 percent of full-time workers who abuse illegal substances reported working for three or more employers during the past year, compared with 5 percent for non-abusers."
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), industries with high occupational injuries — construction, mining, manufacturing and wholesale (the study does not specify which wholesaling industries) — likewise have the highest rates of drug use. Between 10 and 20 percent of the nation's workers who die on the job test positive for alcohol or other drugs.
What can employers do to find out if this is happening at their business? Random drug tests help but don't eliminate the problem. "About one-third of respondents said they would avoid working for companies that did drug testing," according to the article.
OSHA provides a 5-step plan to help employers combat drug abuse through (1) a policy; (2) supervisor training; (3) employee education; (4) employee assistance; and (5) drug testing.
To get more advice on how to maintain a drug-free work environment visit the Free Management Library.
--Cassandra P. Foster
cfoster@safnow.org
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Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming SAF Events
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Regular Features
Product Spotlight: Business-to-Business Portfolios
Catch the eye of corporate clients and stay ahead of the competition with SAF's Business-to-Business Portfolios (follow the link and click on Business-to-Business Materials). Use them to cultivate new clients or remind current ones of the value of your business. The Portfolio includes: a full-color flier on the benefits of flowers and plants that features highlights of the Texas A&M "Flowers in the Workplace" research; a discount card to entice them to try your shop; a company profile form to collect valuable client information; and a carrier envelope (available in packs of 25). For more information contact Member Services at (800) 336-4743.
Member price: $29.95
Non-member price: $59.95
--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org
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Florists Believe in Employees' Staying Power
About 53 percent of readers responding to the previous week's e-poll said they expect a majority of exmployees to stay with them for five years or more. Almost 37 percent expect a majority of employees to stay for 2-5 years, and almost 10 percent expect a majority to stay for 0-2 years.
--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org
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Halloween Sales Unchanged at Most Florists
More than 60 percent of retail florists reported Halloween sales were about the same in 2006 as in 2005. While 11 percent of shops experienced sales increases, 28 percent saw their sales decline from a year ago. More than half the florist shops did not do any promotion for Halloween. It is not surprising that a plurality of florists predicted Halloween would not be more or less important in the future — it would remain about the same importance as it is now.
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Florists' Halloween Sales |
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Source: SAF Halloween Online Survey of Retail Florists. Based on 380 responses (9.9 response rate), 2006.
--Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org
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