Headlines

African Roses, Rainbow-Colored Flowers Popular at Horti Fair

Large-headed African roses, earthy tones, solid colors and tie-dyed eye-catchers are just some of the trends in roses spotted at this year’s International Horti Fair held in Amsterdam Oct. 9-12. 

John Furman, president of California Pajarosa Floral of Watsonville, Calif., says he noticed two main rose trends this year: an increase in the number of African roses, and the popularity of the new variety ‘Coffee Break’, which he says he also noticed at the 2007 SAF Outstanding Varieties competition in Palm Springs, Calif., in September.

The Elite Flower in Miami took home a red ribbon at the Outstanding Varieties competition for ‘Coffee Break’, which the company describes as a “hot” terracotta-colored rose with medium stems and dark foliage.

Furman says his team plans to order and evaluate about 100 test varieties of roses, based on what they saw at Horti Fair — about the same quantity they order after the show every year.

Earthy tones in roses, such as ‘Coffee Break’, are something Rick Rojahn, co-owner of Rojahn & Malaney Company Wholesale Florist in Milwaukee, noticed as well. "We saw a lot of colors that fall into the more organic tones," says Rojahn, who has attended Horti Fair for the past nine years along with the company's domestic rose supplier, Eufloria Flowers in Nipomo, Calif. "We also saw many with metallic qualities, which is very big with what's popular in home décor right now."

Dean Rule, of Conectiflor S A in Quito, Ecuador, which represents a number of breeding companies, noticed a shift toward solid, basic colors, such as yellows and pinks, “after many years where the bi-colors were being heavily planted," he says. Based on the show, Rule says he’ll be testing more long-stemmed, big-headed, and long-lasting varieties that travel well.

Steve Catando, purchasing manager for the fresh flower department a Delaware Valley Wholesale Florist, says there was a lot of buzz around multi-colored, tinted roses and other cultivars. The flowers "are tinted coming out looking like a rainbow," Catando says. "We already have some customers ordering them and they're expensive."

Catando also spotted some cut cyclamen that he thinks would be interesting for handheld wedding bouquets and came home with some information for growers about it.

"It's something that can't really be grown, cut and shipped overseas, so now we're talking to some local growers to see if they can do it," Catando says.

Buyers E-Brief editors spoke with commented on what they perceived as a significant drop in attendees to this year’s show, compared to past years. Horti Fair’s numbers, however, indicate only a 6 percent decline in attendees: 46,846 horticultural professionals from 108 countries, compared to nearly 50,000 visitors from more than 110 countries in 2006. Also down this year was the number of exhibitors, 985 firms, compared to 2006, where Horti Fair attracted more than 1,000. Some buyers suspect the decline, however drastic, is due to the event being held on the heels of Proflora in Colombia, Oct. 3-5, coupled with increasing travel costs and challenges with Colombian citizens obtaining visas to travel to Holland.

Nonetheless, Rojahn still describes the amount of walking and what’s available to see and do at Horti Fair as "staggering."

AgJOBS to be Left Out of Farm Bill

AgJOBS champion and lead sponsor Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced on Nov. 5 that she will not push to get the legislation included as an amendment to the 2007 Farm Bill, which is under consideration this week by the Senate.

In September, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) promised Sen. Feinstein he would bring AgJOBS, the SAF-supported comprehensive immigration reform legislation, to a vote this fall. 

Sen. Feinstein had said she would try to attach AgJOBS to the Farm Bill as an amendment, in an attempt to pass the legislation. However, in a statement announcing her decision she said "... we took a clear-eyed assessment of the politics of the farm bill," and it became apparent that "many of our supporters believe they cannot support AgJOBS on the Farm Bill," as reported by the Bureau of National Affairs.

"The fight is not over," Feinstein said. "We will be seeking a time for this bill on the Senate floor — perhaps this winter or early next year."

"This development is a significant disappointment — what we ultimately want is passage of AgJOBS," says Jeanne Ramsay, SAF's senior director of government relations. "The farm bill also is very important to floriculture and we want to see that move forward in the Senate."

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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IFD Works to Keep the Cold Chain Going

Six years after research proved that maintaining cool temperatures is the single most important factor in maximizing flower life, more and more suppliers are looking for ways to live by proper "cold chain" protocols.
The International Floral Distributors (IFD), a group of 24 wholesale distributors, established a “Cold Chain Initiative” in 2006 and recently gave seven “Cold Chain Partner Awards” to growers for their consistent performance within the temperature specifications.

Award recipients, which include domestic and international growers, as well as shippers, are Armellini Industries, Koch California Ltd., MIA Perishables Center, Prime Floral, Ocean View Flowers, Pyramid Flowers and The Sun Valley Group.

"There are no procedural standards to measure temperature within the industry, so all the companies in the industry make their own protocols," says Jeff Lanman, executive director of IFD, about why IFD came up with temperature standards. "We're trying to develop specifications to live by."

IFD tracks weekly temperature reports and provides feedback to the growers and shippers.

The 4-year, Endowment-funded temperature study, conducted by Drs. Terril Nell, AAF, of the University of Florida-Gainesville, and Michael Reid of the University of California-Davis, found that 33F to 35F is the optimum temperature for keeping flowers from the grower to the consumer, and that flower life is reduced dramatically with each degree increase in temperature.

IFD’s “Cold Chain Initiative” initially set 44F as a temperature goal for flower boxes when they arrive at “logistic partners”, with the goal of gradually moving closer to the 35F optimum target. In March 2007, IFD lowered that target to 40F.

"Keeping the product at [lower] temperature impacts the quality the consumers receive," Lanman says.

Delaware Valley Wholesale Florist also takes temperature controls seriously and recently reminded its suppliers that Delaware Valley could refuse product that is over 44-degrees.

Delaware Valley began the initiative in 2005, when they announced it would closely monitor — and in some cases turn down — boxes of California flowers they consider too hot for the cold chain.

Kurt Schroeder, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, director of marketing for Delaware Valley, says when the company first began the initiative suppliers did pay attention, and there was some rejection of product because of non-compliance. Then in April 2007, Delaware Valley noticed some of the growers were once again becoming lax on temperature control.

“It was waning away and the wheels had started to fall off the cart,” Schroeder says about why they sent out a reminder. “All the wholesalers, growers and retailers are caretakers for products so they’ll last longer in consumers’ homes.”

Gas Prices Fuel Anxiety for Industry Members

Rising diesel fuel prices during the past two weeks heighten an already costly shipping environment.

The Nov. 1 USDA Grain Transportation Report states that during the week of Oct. 29, diesel fuel prices increased six cents a gallon (to $3.16) — up two percent from the previous week, and 25 percent above the same week last year.  Since the beginning of October, prices have increased 11 cents a gallon.

Kevin Priest, AAF, of Cleveland Plant & Flower Company in Parma, Ohio, says fuel surcharges have gone up five to seven cents per kilo since early October. Thus far, the company has absorbed the increased costs, but Priest says they may have to start adjusting prices. "We have to remain competitive ... and be as efficient as possible," he says.

Fuel surcharges are "rising pretty dramatically," agrees Justin Marotta, AAF, of Possum Run Greenhouses, Inc., in Bellville, Ohio, who says "these costs are just going to have to be passed on."

Bob Luthultz, AAF, of Pittsburgh Cut Flower Co. in Pittsburgh, Pa., says that the diesel fuel prices have forced his company to "incorporate higher markup into our product," but the rising price of normal gas also is causing problems for his delivery service. "We are now having to look at [putting] a minimum [on orders delivered]," he says, adding that the costs are "making us look at how we are running our business."

According to the Lundberg Survey, published by the Associated Press last weekend, the national average price for gasoline rose about 16 cents over the past two weeks.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Success Blooms for America in Bloom

America in Bloom (AIB) went through its sixth year of awarding cities for their beautification efforts, and Rockford, Ill., got the top prize — as winner in the largest "population category." Rockford previously won this award in 2005. What does it really take to win the top prize? It "takes a village" and plenty of time, according to those involved in Rockford.

Efforts to beautify Rockford pre-date the AIB contest, according to Ruth Miller, director of City of Gardens, a Rockford beautification program that began in 1999 with a hanging baskets project. This year the group partnered with Swedish American Health System to promote physical fitness and community cleanliness by distributing "walk around the block" bags so locals can pick up litter while walking. The organization also partnered with the American Cancer Society and local gardening groups to plant more than 40,000 petunias throughout the community, and they worked with the Community Foundation and local businesses to promote urban reforestation.

"I heard about America in Bloom through industry peers ... about four years ago" says Jessica Salisbury, who has involved her store, Village Green Nursery, in the effort. Her store took the lead on Rockford's hanging baskets this year and also worked to spruce up the outsides of local businesses with plants and flowers. Besides making the city more beautiful, Salisbury says she uses Rockford's continuing participation in America in Bloom to land new accounts and encourage her corporate accounts to buy more flowers. "It has increased our business substantially," she says.

This would be welcome news to Delilah Onofrey, editor of Greenhouse Grower, who now helps head up external relations for AIB but also played a role in getting it started. After meeting with a board member of the now-defunct Bedding Plants International (BPI) to discuss how to "market bedding plants to cities and chambers of commerce," she wrote an editorial in 1999 proposing the U.S. launch a beautification program called "Bloom City." Onofrey says she was inspired by a Canadian beautification program that encourages reforestation, called Tree City.

"The idea [was that] not only would there be civic benefits to [creating] a nice environment, but there would also be industry benefits, as it would create more demand for flowers and landscaping," Onofrey says.

The idea took hold and BPI created an industry taskforce, which later became the America in Bloom board of directors. In 2002, the first America in Bloom contest was held with 38 contestants. Since then it has engaged 150 cities in the competition.

"It is very much a grassroots effort," Onofrey says. "It is incumbent on industry members to sign up their towns."

In the future, Onofrey hopes to increase the number of towns participating each year — especially from different parts of the country. "The Midwest has really dominated," she says, and "this is the first year we had any participation from Arizona and Nevada." She would also like to start a regional outreach program and hold beautification competitions at the local level.

Onofrey, however, is pleased with the progress AIB has made. "Once cities do the program ... the local response is so good that that their planting continues to expand, even if they don't compete again. They build on what they have learned."

To read about the other 2007 winners and get information on how to enter, to go the American in Bloom Web site.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Newsmakers

TV News Stations Say "Good Morning" With Flowers

TV stations all over the country are reporting the news that seeing flowers first thing in the morning makes you happier and more energetic.

ABC-affiliate WJLA-TV Channel 7 aired the story on "Good Morning Washington" on Oct. 30. It reported the findings of SAF/FPO's Home Ecology of Flowers Study, which was conducted at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and shows that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when fresh cut flowers are present in the home.

The story ran 16 times in 11 cities, including Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit and Miami, between Oct. 26 and Oct. 30.

These news stories are a direct result of a second Home Ecology of Flowers public relations campaign  launched by an alliance of SAF and the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO) in October to promote the study's findings about flowers in the morning. SAF/FPO launched the initial PR campaign promoting the study's findings in October 2006.

Generate publicity for your shop. SAF members can access customizable press releases on the benefits of morning flowers and the results of the Home Ecology of Flowers Study.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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California's B&H Receives Green Award

A California grower is reaping the rewards of sustainable growing practices. B&H Flowers, Inc., in Carpinteria and Watsonville, Calif., received one of the five 14th Annual Green Awards, which recognizes voluntary efforts to help the environment by companies in Santa Barbara.

B&H Flowers, Inc., founded in 1986 by Jan Brand, father of current owner Hans Brand, earned the honors for its use of "high-efficiency and low-waste irrigation systems, beneficial insects, and certified organic fertilizers," according to the Sustainability Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which hosted this year's green awards.

Vice President of Sales and Marketing Scott Fulton says that, while the award is new, the company’s sustainable growing practices are not. “For us, this is something we've been doing for 10 years now, and so it is a recognition of that accomplishment." The company's cut flower crops include lilies, tulips and gerberas.

In addition, Rep. Lois Capps (D-23-Calif.) recently gave B&H a Congressional merit of recognition for the grower's outstanding and invaluable service to the community.

To read more about B&H Flowers, Inc., and its environmental efforts and other news, refer to SAF's E-Brief archives.

--Cassandra P. Foster
cfoster@safnow.org

 
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Florist Loses San Francisco Mayoral Race

Though it isn’t official yet, it looks like florist Harold Hoogasian, a candidate (there were 14 total) for mayor of San Francisco, finished a distant second to the incumbent, Gavin Newsom, with unofficial results, 7 percent to 77 percent, as reported in the San Jose Mercury News.

Department of election officials, Hoogasian says, have said that the results of Tuesday’s contest will not be official until, at the earliest, this Friday or sometime next week. That’s fine and well for Hoogasian, who says that he’s headed to Kona, Hawaii, at the end of this week, to “relax and get some sun.”

The owner of Hoogasian Flowers, Inc., says that he’s off to spend some time at his coffee farm. He adds that thought the initial returns are discouraging he says, “I’m anxious to see what the votes look like.”

What’s next for the San Francisco florist, following the Hawaii retreat? Well, Hoogasian says that running for mayor was an “interesting thing to do” and that if offered him great exposure. He doesn’t know if he’ll run again, but he is committed to keeping his campaign alive through it’s Web site, www.unplugthemachine.org. Hopefully, he says, he can keep discussions going with his e-mail subscribers and “talk about changes we need to make to better San Francisco.”

To read more about Hoogasian’s candidacy platform, turn to the Aug. 8 issue of E-Brief.

Life at Work

Business Owners Enjoy Being Their Own Boss

You run a small business because it makes you happy, right? Well, you aren't alone in feeling that way. For a large portion of small business owners in America, being in business for themselves means more to them than receiving a big paycheck, reports a recent survey.

The findings from a Discover Small Business Watch poll found that 61 percent of the 1,000 entrepreneurs that participated in the survey "said they would not give up the independence of running their own business to make more money working for someone else," according to an article in The New York Times.

In addition, 46 percent of small business owners said they decided to go into business for themselves in the first place because of the freedom it presents and the more convenient work schedule.

The flexibility that survey respondents also said they value doesn’t necessarily translate into fewer working hours: "28 percent of business owners work at least six days a week and 52 percent took off seven days or fewer for the year, compared with 36 percent of the overall population," the article states.

cfoster@safnow.org

Trends and Tips

Talk, Don’t Write Your Message

Why write the customer’s message on the enclosure card when they can shout it? A company based in the United Kingdom, pre.vu, has developed talking products such as gift tags and CD cases for the technology-loving consumer.

“Create your own special voice message for any occasion,” the Web site advertises. Each personalized, pocket-sized talking gift tag can hold up to a 60-second (maximum) message, whether it’s speaking, singing or sound effects, for the gift recipient. When the product was tested at three Virgin Megastores, customers were “quickly engaged,” according to case study findings on the Web site.

Messages can be played “hundreds” of times and the tag (which retails around $12) lasts for more than a year, according to the Web site.

And, Interflora, Europe’s floral wire service, is rumored to be offering the pre.vu gift tags sometime soon, according to the comments section on Springwise.

 
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Mark Your Calendar

Election Year Politics 101: Speak up often, and LOUDLY
Register now for Congressional Action Days.

Here's a not-so-fun fact about the presidential election year: Expect a surge in special-interest lobbying competing for your legislators' time and attention. And, paraphrasing one pundit: "if you don't have a place at the table you just might be served for lunch."

There's only one way to protect your business interests in 2008, says SAF Government Relations Chairman Kevin Priest, AAF, of Cleveland Plant & Flower Company in Parma, Ohio. "Make sure your voice is heard."

The best way to do that? Be part of your state delegation at Congressional Action Days, Feb. 25-26 in Washington, D.C. "Nothing resonates with Congress like seeing hundreds of constituents speaking with one voice as they go from office to office in a single day," Priest says. "It really turns up the volume and makes them take notice, which is exactly what you need to keep your issues on the table in an election year."

Registration brochures are in the mail, and Priest is asking members to sign up now "before we all get busy with the holidays," so that SAF can start setting up appointments with attendees and their busy members of Congress and staffs. To encourage you, SAF has added an incentive: Register by Dec. 15 and you're eligible to win one FREE registration to the conference!

Read about this year's program and register now.

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Upcoming Events

Regular Features

Reader Feedback: Scam Reports

After running a story about a possible phone scam involving an international order and a hearing-impaired phone service in the previous week's E-Brief, we received several responses from readers who have been in a similar situation. Here are their stories:

"We received a call similar to the one in the story in June 2007. The operator asked for my email address so the customer could write to me. He asked how much 12 roses were. Then he emailed me and said I need to know how much 120 dozen roses were. I gave him a price and he placed an order and then sent a request that I contact his personal shipping company in Savannah, Ga., to have the roses shipped. He said he would use a company credit card to pay for his purchase. The order would go to Ghana. I became suspicious because we are a shop in the middle of Georgia in a town of 1,200. Why not order from Savannah? It made no sense that he would contact us. I asked for his credit card info and he said he would arrange for his people in Savannah to have payment for us when we delivered. I called our Sheriff department and turned it over to them. Sounded just too fishy to be possible."

-- Vicky Chambers
Around The Corner Florist
Lula, Ga.

"We also had a call from a hearing impaired man in September. He ordered a dozen roses for Tennessee. The credit card did not go through and the fulfilling florist got notified in time. We also spent about an hour on the phone with this person. At the time we thought this was an isolated incident. Thanks for alerting everyone."

-- Trudy Rosemarin
Trudy's Floral Design
Seattle

"Yesterday, I received a phone call from the relay service. When they wanted to send 2 dozen roses, chocolates and a bear, the bells went off. I told them that the total bill was over our maximum to be purchased over the phone. I asked if they had access to a fax so they could send me a copy of the card and their signature. They hung up.

"We have had problems with large purchases with credit cards on the phone in the past.  Now we ask for a faxed copy of the card and signature. I leave it up to the staff if they think it maybe a questionable order. It has weeded out the scams.

"My new concern is how to detect scams on an internet order. When you speak with someone you sometimes just get a feeling or a different tone."

-- Gloria Huss
Monrovia Floral
Monrovia, Calif.

"After spending over 30 minutes on the phone with a relay service it ended up being a scam. The sender used the name NOBERT and wanted 2 dz roses, candy and bear."

-- Vickie Brown
Faith Designs Florist
Marietta, Ga.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Reader Feedback: OK to Talk Salary?

The Oct. 17 issue of SAF’s Wednesday E-Brief discussed the problem of gossip in the workplace, and methods to counteract it. In response to one florist’s comment that talking salary at her shop is prohibited, reader Paul Brockway of Conklyn’s Florist in Alexandria, Va., questioned the legality of taking action against an employee for discussing wages and suggested that E-Brief editors “mention the potential pitfalls of such a policy.”

Brockway was on to something. According to the National Labor Relations Act, all employees have the right to engage in “concerted activity for mutual aid and protection.” According to experts at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), this means that employers can encourage discretion with wage information, but they are discouraged from taking any disciplinary action against employees who divulge their wages to other employees.

SHRM points to the following articles from various sources, which include useful information regarding discussing wages in the workplace:

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Not a Legal Policy for Employee Discussion

The National Labor Relations Act: Not Just for Unionized Employees

Pay Policies Cannot Prohibit Wage Discussions

Shhh, They’re Talking Salary

Keeping Pay Details Away from Friends

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Product Spotlight: The Valentine's Day Playbook

Create a winning holiday gameplan with SAF's Valentine's Day Playbook: A Retail Florists' Guide to a Winning Valentine's Day. This manual, which is a useful strategizing tool for any floral holiday, includes task lists, buying guides, delivery strategies, recruiting tips, and much more. To order, click here, scroll down the page and click on How-to Marketing Kits.

Added bonus: Place your order over the phone and mention your coupon in the back of SAF's 2007-2008 Resource Guide to receive free shipping (on orders totaling $50 or less)

Member price: $14.95
Non-member price: $24.95

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Talk on the Forums

On the "I'm Looking For..." Discussion forum, one member is wondering where she can find an affordable custom cooler that will be easy to assemble. Weigh in.

Also on the forums:

Collecting on accounts

Outside displays

Start your own discussion.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Florists' Communities Celebrating Dia de los Muertos

Sixty-eight percent of florists responding to the previous week's e-poll said Dia de los Muertos was not celebrated in their local community. Nineteen percent said their local community did celebrate the holiday and 11 percent said they were not sure.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Sweetest Day and Boss's Day Sales Results

For those florists participating in Sweetest Day, about 60 percent reported sales in the same ballpark as 2006. For Boss's Day this was the case for about 45 percent of florists, according to preliminary results of SAF's Online Post-Holiday Survey of retail florists. Just over 11 percent of florists saw sales increase from a year ago at Sweetest Day, while 18 percent saw them rise at Boss's Day. About 29 percent indicated a decrease in sales at Sweetest Day compared to 37 percent at Boss's Day. Almost half the responding florists did not partake in the Sweetest Day holiday, which is popular mostly in the Midwest. About a quarter (23 percent) did not report Boss's Day results. Online sales followed the same general pattern as overall sales.

Sales, Online Sales for Sweetest and Boss's Day

Source: SAF Online Survey of Retail Florists (preliminary results). Based on 361 responses (10.6 percent response rate).

--Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org

 
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