Headlines

AIFD to Offer New Designation

AIFD recently unveiled plans to introduce a new floral professional design designation, Certified Floral Designer® (CFD).

AIFD has been "discussing this for a couple of years now," says Thomas Shaner, CAE, AIFD's executive director. The new designation is geared toward designers who may not yet have the "artistry" that's required to achieve AIFD membership and accreditation, but nonetheless possess strong fundamental design skills that should be recognized.  

Both AIFD and CFD require a mastery of the fundamentals of design, Shaner says, but AIFD is more rigorous: AIFD candidates must complete five designs for evaluation by seven judges, and they must receive an average score of 4 or better, with the high and low scores being eliminated. CFD candidates create three designs and must earn a 3.2 or higher from the three judges. 

"We want to make CFD as accessible as possible, so that any florist who would like to be nationally recognized, but perhaps does not want dedicate the time and energy to AIFD and its mission, can do so," Shaner says. Those who become CFD do not have to become members of AIFD, but will be encouraged to achieve AIFD accreditation.

Shaner says one of the purposes of the new designation is to get florists recognition "more [in] the public than in the industry." AIFD will contact various media outlets to promote the new designation, as well as provide inductees with tools to increase consumer awareness of the recognition within their own communities. This campaign also will help to elevate and distinguish AIFD members, as they automatically receive CFD certification.

Unlike the AIFD accreditation, the evaluation sessions for CFD will not be held at the annual Symposium but at a yet-to-be determined event, says Shaner, who cites regional AIFD chapters and state conventions as two possibilities. He says he hopes the CFD requirement for continuing education every three years will create an increase in the demand for design education — something Shaner says has decreased — that state associations and other organizations may fill.

Currently, AIFD is beta-testing the program "to make sure the scoring system works," and plans to begin offering it this spring.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Paul Ecke Scales Back Finished Poinsettia Production

Paul Ecke Ranch, best known for increasing the popularity of poinsettias at Christmas, has announced that it will not grow most of its finished poinsettia crop this season. Instead, Armstrong Garden Centers, headquartered in Glendora, Calif., will produce the plants and sell them under the Paul Ecke Ranch brand name.

This change can be attributed to several factors, says Paul Ecke Ranch president Andy Higgins. "The first reason is that we purchased Oglevee and acquired 1,700 new customers and new product lines." This change would allow the company to focus on the expansion and, more specifically, focus on producing cuttings — which constitute about 95 percent of their business.

Another reason is an unresolved rezoning issue. Two years ago, the Paul Ecke Ranch proposed rezoning 38 of its 68 acres from agriculture to residential — the company wanted to sell this land and use the profit to modernize its greenhouses. The city of Encinitas, Calif., however, voted against the measure, disallowing the rezoning. "This was definitely one of the factors," Higgins says. "It's hard to grow a modern crop with modern quality in 50-year-old greenhouses."

Despite the fact that finished poinsettias do not constitute large part of Ecke's business, "it was part of our history for 80 years, so it was an emotional decision," says Shaner.  

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Employers Must Use New I-9 Forms

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised the I-9 form. DHS will begin enforcing the requirements Dec. 26, 30 days after the Nov. 26 announcement, giving employers time to transition. The revised Form I-9 is one more step in USCIS' ongoing work toward reducing the number of documents used to confirm identity and work eligibility.

The new form I-9 must be completed by all employers for each employee hired in the United States. The form will become mandatory for all employers to complete within the first three days of hire once the notice is published in the Federal Register. Basically, the revision reduces the number of documents that employers may accept from newly hired employees to prove work eligibility and identity.  
 
Key to the revision is the removal of five documents for proof of both identity and employment eligibility. They include: Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-570); Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570); Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151); the unexpired Reentry Permit (Form I-327); and the unexpired Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571). The forms were removed because they lack sufficient features to help deter counterfeiting, tampering and fraud.
 
It is important to note that there was one addition to the list: The most recent version of Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document, is now listed as an acceptable List A document. 
 
In addition, a newly revised "Handbook for Employers, Instructions for Completing the Form I-9, (M-274)" is available on the USCIS Web site. The public can get USCIS forms and information on immigration laws, regulations and procedures by telephoning our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. A Spanish-language version of the amended Form I-9 also is available (for use in Puerto Rico only).

Read a press release about the amended Form I-9.

 --Jeanne Ramsay
jramsay@safnow.org

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An End to D.C. Wholesale Florist Industry?

Gentrification and zoning changes could drive the only remaining wholesale flower market in Washington, D.C., out of the city.

Dennis Paul, owner of Paul's Wholesale Florist Co., Inc., and co-owner of the Washington Flower Center; and Francis Abdow, owner of McCallum Sauber Wholesale Florist, Inc., recently announced the property was up for sale.

"This was a very sad decision," Paul says, made due to the recent rezoning of the neighborhood from industrial manufacturing to mixed commercial and residential. Although the Washington Flower Center is grandfathered in, Paul says it won't fit in with the changing neighborhood.

"We estimate that by 2012, 1,300 residential units will be in this area," Paul says. "We'll end up being a nuisance. Sometimes we open up between 2 and 3 a.m."

Paul says Washington Flower Center's first choice is to remain in the city, but gentrification in other areas remains a concern, so it may opt for nearby Maryland, where a number of other wholesale floral businesses already call home.

David Hope, AAF, AIFD, of the Flower Gallery in D.C. says he's a frequent customer of the nearby Washington Flower Center, which he drives past at least once a day.

"I'll cry huge tears" if they move out of the city, Hope says. "It'll change our life. It would really alter our buying habits."

Hope says if a customer needs something they don't have, they can just run over to the flower market and get it. If it moves out to a suburb, he'll only visit on special occasions.

"Right now, we never do without," Hope says.

New York City wholesalers are facing a similar challenge as a lack of parking, traffic congestion and increasing rental costs had the Flower Market Association of New York City looking for a new location for the New York flower district in 2002, something it hasn't found yet.

Gary Page, of G. Page Wholesale Flowers  in Manhattan, says the wholesale market in the city is slowly disappearing due to rezoning and rising rent costs.

"The wholesale market is under a lot of pressure," Page says. "It's all about the money eventually."

Page estimates that there about 26 wholesalers in New York City — a number that goes down by one or two every year as the city continues to change.

Despite these situations, there are plenty of thriving wholesale markets in cities across the country, says Jim Wanko, executive vice president of Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association including Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis.

Wanko explains there are still many retail florists, along with a number of other event florists "in the cities and they want their suppliers in the cities."

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

 
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Celebrity Chef Charm

Bam! Hey Ya'll. Yum-o!. All sayings now recognizable thanks to the rising popularity of celebrity chefs, and retailers are finding ways to take advantage of consumers' growing interest in the culinary arts.

1-800-Flowers.com recently announced a new "Celebrity Program" where it has partnered with celebrity chefs such as Paul Deen of "Paula's Home Cooking," Ina Garten of "Barefoot Contessa" and Steven Raichlen, the "Professor of Barbecue." 

The gift baskets feature a selection of products these chefs are well known for, such as Savannah marinade, peach pecan dressing and a yellow dish towel, among other items, in the Paula Deen basket or a stainless steel Beer Can Chicken Roaster, along with lemonade barbecue rub and a bag of Poultry Smoking Wood Chip Blend in the Raichlen basket.

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

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Industry Great Passes Away

Kirk Pamper, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, accepting SAF's Tommy Bright Award in 2006.

Kirk Pamper, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, internationally recognized floral designer, commentator, instructor and consultant, passed away on Nov. 19.

Pamper earned many honors, including, most recently, SAF's Tommy Bright Award for Achievement in Floral Presentation in 2006.

"His greatest impact on the industry was that he had a vast wealth of knowledge, the talent to present it well, and he spoke to everyone on their level," says Jeff Corbin, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, of Radford City Florist in Radford, Va., who was chairman of the PFCI Board of Trustees when Pamper received the award.

A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Pamper appeared in numerous floral design shows and workshops, including AIFD Regional and National Symposia, SAF conventions, the Philadelphia Flower Show and the annual Holiday Expo at the Dallas Market. He taught as a floral design instructor for the University of Memphis's Continuing Education Department, was a Teleflora Education Specialist and was a member of the Creative Consultants Team for Syndicate Sales, Inc.

He was a contributing author for the "Centennial History of the American Florist" and "The AIFD Book of Floral Terminology." He played a lead role in writing the 2005 "AIFD Guide to Floral Design: Terms, Techniques and Traditions." In addition, Pamper's design work and writings have appeared in industry publications, such as "Flowers&" and his creations have been seen in "Fleur Design" magazine of Canada.

Pamper earned many industry honors, including SAF's Tommy Bright Award for Achievement in Floral Presentation (in 2006) and the AIFD Award of Distinguished Service to the Floral Industry (in 2005). He served SAF as a member of the PFCI Board of Trustees.  He was AIFD's national vice president, on its Membership, Marketing, and Education Committees and was president of its Southern Regional Chapter.

There will be no immediate memorial services — as per his wishes, Pamper's remains will be donated to the cancer research institute at the University of Tennessee. His family does plan to hold a celebration of his life in the spring of next year.

Read Pamper's autobiography.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Newsmakers

Growers Featured in Local Paper

Florida growers got some good press for their businesses — and the challenges they face — in a local paper.

On Nov. 17, the Palm Beach Post ran an article, "Cut Flower Firmly Planted in Martin," highlighting the three local flower growers that have survived "despite an avalanche of carnations, chrysanthemums and roses imported from South America and Africa."

The article states that Sunshine State Carnations in Hobe Sound, and Holzinger Flowers and Dick's Flowers in Palm City "remain competitive because they are able to deliver freshness, quality and consistency."

"It's nice to hear good things about agriculture," says Eric Nissen, AAF, vice president and head of sales at Sunshine State, and a past SAF board member. "A lot of the time you only hear bad things about agriculture — like about pesticides and things like that."

The article discusses the troubles local growers face — namely, finding legal workers and an alternative to the fumigant methyl bromide, which is banned except under critical-use exemptions granted by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The article also quotes SAF's past president Terril Nell, AAF, Ph.D., of University of Florida at Gainesville, on the effect of urbanization on Florida growers. "We started seeing declines 20 years ago, due to imports. Then development kicked in, and the rest is history," he told the paper.

Susan Salisbury, the article's author, proposed her story idea to Nissen during a meeting with Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Charles Connor at the USDA's U.S. Horticultural Research Lab in Ft. Pierce, Fla. "The article was very nice — I like that it focused on how we are able to stay in business in the face of so much competition," Nissen says.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Rainbow Roses Sow Good PR for Exotic Flowers

Recently Exotic Flowers' "rainbow" roses were featured in the Boston Globe's 'shopping tip of the day' feature.

Looking for a media hook? Don’t overlook the news value of what’s in your cooler. Just ask Rick Canale, managing director of Exotic Flowers. The Boston florist captured the attention of a Boston Globe reporter with a press release and a bouquet of roses — but not just any roses.

Canale sent Judy Wulff a half-dozen arrangement of  “rainbow” roses, which he learned about through Dutch importer and wholesaler Back Bay Wholesale Flowers. The multi-colored roses were enough to merit coverage in an article and photograph, which appeared in the Home/Lifestyle section under the “shopping tip of the day” feature just last week. The Boston Globe newspaper has a daily circulation of more than 360,695, while its Web site averages 4.2 million visitors.

According to Canale, Wulff solicits unique ideas via e-mail for her daily column. “I have tried e-mails [about our store’s items] in the past with no luck,” he says, “but this time sent her the product and got the attention.”

Wulff describes the rainbow roses as a “centerpiece that’s sure to be the center of attention.” Canale explained how the roses became rainbow-colored, which Wulff also highlighted in her article. The roses are originally a cream color, and then they take on the variety of colors after their stems are spliced and soaked in a water-based dye.

Canale says his shop received “a priceless amount of exposure” from The Boston Globe article. Exotic Flowers’ sales for the rainbow roses hit about $1,000 last week and the shop’s Web site had a 35 percent increase in visitors over the same day in 2006. Canale says orders for the flowers ($7.50 per rose, $75 per dozen, or $90 per dozen in a vase) came in both by phone and in-store. “A couple people bought 24 [roses] to hand out to co-workers because they though they were so cool.”

Want more ideas for getting local media coverage? Check out the story of how eight florists flexed their PR muscles in the December issue of Floral Management.

Lee Sorensen Joins Design Master color tool, Inc.

Lee Sorensen

Just three months after helping to close his family's wholesale operation, Lincoln Wholesale, in Lincoln, Neb., Lee Sorensen joins Design Master color tool, Inc., as an account manager.  

Sorensen, who has served on SAF's Wholesale Council and Member Services Committee, spent 14 years working for the family-owned business and five years working for Pajaro Valley Greenhouses in Watsonville, Calif.

"We are thrilled to have Lee's expertise and enthusiasm as part of the Design Master team," says Dwight J. Larimer, AAF, president. "Lee is recognized for his hard work ethic and integrity. We will enjoy teaching him all about the world of color and Design Master."

--Kate Penn
kpenn@safnow.org

 
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Trends and Tips

Holiday 2007 Outlook: Who's to Say?

With some economists drawing the holiday sales glass as half full, others depict it as half empty. Who is right? No one is certain as there are plenty of "facts" to back up each perspective.

The Boston Consulting Group says expectations for weak holiday spending may be overblown. Its survey of consumers, conducted in October, found that half of all consumers expected their holiday spending to be the same as last year. In fact, three quarters of those surveyed felt that even the troubled real estate market would not change their holiday spending. That, combined with low unemployment, favorable real income and optimism among middle class consumers portended well for the holidays. However, that was before today's report from Standard and Poor's showing the sharpest declines in housing prices since they began collecting data in 1987 and the Conference Board's report showing consumer confidence at a two-year low.

Black Friday
Spending on Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving, was up 22 percent compared to 2006 according to comScore.  Overall Thanksgiving sales were up 29 percent and spending for the first 23 days of November were up 17 percent. The National Retail Federation found that sales per consumer were down, but increased traffic made up for the lower per capita spending. More than 147 million consumers went shopping, up 4.8 percent from Black Friday a year ago.

Economists at ShopperTrak RCT Corp. had expected modest sales increases of no more than 5 percent over the Friday and Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend. It turned out their glasses weren't rosy enough, as weekend sales among the retailers they track were up 7.2 percent and Friday sales up 8.3 percent.

Cyber Monday
And what of Cyber Monday, a made up marketing effort for the first day after Thanksgiving said to be the biggest online shopping day of the year (In fact, it isn't even in the Top 10)? Traffic on cyberMonday.com, an online sales outlet, was up three times over last year.

Shop.org reported that 32 percent of consumers said they would shop online on Cyber Monday, five percent more than in 2006. And early returns indicate sales may be up by more than 15 percent according to comScore. Actual results should be available by the weekend. The media has latched onto this day as another harbinger of holiday sales. Whether the online sales increases reflect future holiday spending or if they only represent the general trend from brick and mortar sales to online sales, or expanded promotional efforts by the online sites, is uncertain.

Green Monday
Not to be outdone, the folks at eBay have designated the second Monday of December, the genuine biggest online shopping day of the year, Green Monday (green, as in cash).

So, will positive indications from the Thanksgiving weekend foretell overall holiday sales? Will online successes and holiday traffic set the tone for the season? Or will toy recalls, record high gas prices, tight credit, foreclosures, falling property and stock market values and overall consumer negativity be the Grinch that steals Christmas?  One thing for sure, there is a lack of consensus among the so-called experts.

-- Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org

 
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Consumer Reports says 'Caveat Emptor' to Gift Card Buyers

Shoppers will spend $26.3 billion on gift cards this year, up from $24.8 billion in 2006, reports the National Retail Federation (NRF). While those projections are good for retailers, it’s bad for shoppers, according to Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports recently ran a full-page ad in The New York Times criticizing holiday gift cards. The ad told shoppers to be wary of purchasing the cards because $8 billion worth in gift cards went unused in 2006, either because they were lost or expired. “Easy money for retailers. Lost money for you,” the ad stated.

A newly-released Consumer Reports survey reports that approximately 56 percent of respondents received gift cards in 2006 and 27 percent of them still “have not used one or more of these cards,” according to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times.

The organization says it’s highlighting the negatives of giving gift cards, so that consumers (and gift recipients) aren’t surprised about potential hidden fees, expiration dates and activation charges.

A NRF survey of 7,982 consumers, who were polled during the first week of November, shows that 87.7 percent of shoppers said they would purchase two or more gift cards this holiday season.

New Year, New Money

The newly designed $5 dollar bill will be issued in early 2008.

With the new year comes the new $5 bill, scheduled to roll out in early 2008, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

“Since 2003, the United States government has been issuing newly designed bank notes in an effort to stay ahead of currency counterfeiting and protect the economy and your hard-earned money,” says Ruth Seeley, a Bureau of Engraving and Printing spokeswoman. The $5 bills are just the latest in the string of new designs of bank notes (the new designs of the $10, $20 and $50 are already in circulation).

Although the new bills will stay the same size as the old ones, the redesigned money features two new security items: two watermarks and an embedded security thread.

Businesses can still accept the old $5 bill designs, however, assures the bureau on its Web site.

Refer to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s resource center, including education information and training on the new $5 bills at http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney/main.cfm/currency/new5.

Barneys Unveils Green Holiday Promotions

Green is the new black; at least that's what Barneys New York is saying with its new environmentally-conscious holiday promotions.

Advertising Age recently highlighted Barneys' new window displays, catalog and green gift cards as "what may be the year's most unique department store holiday marketing strategy."

Barneys, renowned in New York City for its traffic-stopping windows that flank Madison Avenue, is promoting its "Have a Green Holiday" with window displays revolving around "Rudolph the Recycled Reindeer," catalogs featuring the latest in eco-friendly wares and fashions, and a series of videos on its Web site featuring Simon Doonan, Barney's creative director, making environmentally-friendly gift suggestions.

We "felt this whole movement for more authentic product," Juile Gilhart, Barneys fashion director, tells Doonan in the first of their Web videos regarding the new holiday promotion.

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

 
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Believe It or Not

Flowers, Supermodel Team Up for Fashion Spread

Flowers are upstaging supermodel Kate Moss in an upcoming fashion spread in V Magazine, and the New York-based fashion and arts magazine is looking for donors to help steal the spotlight.

A 3D photo spread will feature a variety of floral bouquets and Moss, and the London-based photographer conducting the shoot, Nick Knight, is seeking donations of “the most beautifully outrageous floral arrangements ... to be included in a pendulous mountain of flowers that Kate will strike a pose against. The crazier the better.” The bouquets will fall in line with the floral-themed fashions seen in the upcoming Spring 2008 collections, says Knight’s Web site.

Knight, who is also director of SHOWstudio (an online broadcasting organization that showcases live fashion media), writes in his blog that entries of “bouquets, garlands and posies” will be accepted now through Dec. 5 and can be sent to his London studio address (listed on the SHOWstudio blog), and each will be photographed upon arrival then posted on the Web site — some even feature fan letters to Moss. (We tried to reach Knight to get some pointers on designing supermodel-worthy flowers, but he couldn’t be reached for comment.)

In addition to the layout in V Magazine, Knight will post a video on SHOWstudio.com preceding the shoot of what he refers to as the “visual spectacle” or 3D floral structure.

Mark Your Calendar

Take Action Growers! Discover the Latest Advancements in Crop Protection.

SAF's 24th Annual Conference on Pest and Disease Management in Ornamentals is jam-packed with sessions designed to help you take action against current crop threats in the most effective ways.

Click here for the full list of sessions and to register today. 

Here are just a few of the topics being covered:

• unusual diseases diagnosed in 2007
• new and emerging arthropod pests
• silicon's pest-control potential
• managing downy mildew on coleus and other crops
• new insecticides and miticides
• the compatibility of pest control materials with natural enemies 

For more information contact Laura Weaver, CMP (lweaver@safnow.org; 800-336-4743)

--Shelley Estersohn
sestersohn@safnow.org

 
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On the Horizon

Regular Features

Product Spotlight: Ultimate Floral Industry Supply Guide

Did Thanksgiving clear you out? Stock up for the holidays with SAF's Ultimate Floral Industry Supply Guide, which features an amazing range of floral products and accessories. And now it's even easier to get what you need — SAF recently launched the second edition of UFISG, which now offers Request for Information (RFI) functionality. This new feature allows you to contact participating suppliers with a click of a button and inquire about different products with ease. The guide also includes a desktop search mechanism. Just download the free application and access the Ultimate Floral Industry Supply Guide right from your computer's desktop screen.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Florists Like Their (Light) Meat

Only 37.5 percent of readers responding to the previous week's Thanksgiving e-poll said they prefer dark meat. To the 62.5 percent who said they prefer light meat, the American Heart Association applauds you. None of the readers responding to the e-poll were vegetarians.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Florists' Holiday Decorating Services

Florists offer a number of Christmas-related decorating services to their retail and corporate customers, according to an SAF survey of retail florists conducted following the holiday in 2006. More than 8 of every ten florists offer business decoration (83 percent) or home decoration (80 percent) assistance. Sixty percent were willing to trim churches, country clubs, hotels, restaurants or even subdivisions as value added services. Around half the florists provide tree ornamentation services (54 percent) or party planning and event setup services (47 percent).

Florists' Christmas-related Services

 

Source: SAF Online Post-Christmas Survey of retail florists, conducted January 4-15, 2006. Based on 358 responses (response rate = 9 percent).

--Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org

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