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In This Issue ...
- Fun 'N Sun Updates
- 2022 - 2023 Membership Dues Invoices Sent
- CalFlowers "New Member" Spotlights
- Transportation
- Welcome New CalFlowers Members
Upcoming
2022 Events:
Slow Flowers Summit 2022
"Inquire Inform Include Instigate Inspire"
June 26 - 28
Pocantico, NY
AIFD Symposium "Roots"
July 4 - 8
Caesars Forum Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
Fun 'N Sun
"All About Flowers"
Aug. 29 - Sept. 1, 2022
Hotel del Coronado
Coronado, CA
Click Here to Rediscover the California legend - Hotel del Coronado.
SAF Orlando 2022
September 6-8
Orlando, FL
Latest Legislation
Updates:
Click Here to read the latest Legislative updates.
Is a cooperative effort to get more Americans enjoying more flowers, more often. From upscale florists, farmers markets or grocery stores — as long as people are bringing home flowers regularly, that’s good enough for us.
We want everyone to experience the impact of flowers on a daily basis. They’re a beautiful, natural dose of feel-good, so why should they be reserved for special occasions?
Even the most modest bouquet of flowers can have all sorts of positive short and long term effects on how we feel — in other words, it’s that flower feeling.
Click Here and request access to all of the FREE Assets That Flower Feeling has to offer.
FLOWERS.
SELF CARE MADE EASY.
Self care has become a lot of work. You gotta pamper, practice mindfulness, balance life and work, and be awesome at all of them. Flowers on the other hand are self care made easy. They won't replace working out or eating well. But they're a spiritual tune-up. So treat yourself to a little off-the-shelf self care.
April Birth Flowers:
The Daisy and the Sweet Pea
The April birth month flowers are the daisy and the sweet pea. The daisy stands for innocence, purity, and true love, while the sweet pea is a way to say goodbye, send good wishes, or merely convey a thank you.
The Daisy
Stemming from Old English, daisy comes from “day’s eye,” referencing the daily habits of the English daisy, with its petals opening in the day and closing at night. Depending on the species, the daisy can be one of your earliest spring bloomers or among the last to appear in the fall.
The daisy is actually made up of two flowers. The center eye—or disc floret—is a collection of tiny florets, while the ray floret (the petals) radiate from the center, resembling the Sun. Because a daisy is made up of two flowers that work in perfect harmony, they have long been a symbol of true love.
Native to Europe and Africa, and eventually naturalized in North America, daisies belong to the aster family (Asteraceae). It is one of the largest plant families; one that also includes sunflowers and, of course, asters.
The Sweet Pea
The sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is part of the Fabaceae family and is related to beans and other legumes. While it is not a crop pea, it is a close relative. It’s also commonly confused with the everlasting pea due to its similar look. While sweet pea has been used in some areas of the world for medicine and food, it is considered toxic to humans and animals, unlike its edible garden pea relatives.
Native to Italy and the Mediterranean region, sweet peas are not only beautiful, but have a sweet fragrance—often likened to oranges, honey, and jasmine—that can brighten any room.
CalFlowers
Featured
"New Member" Spotlights
To see all of our past Featured "New Member" Spotlight stories Click Here.
If your company would like to be a featured "New Member", please contact Monnaie Pepin for more details.
Past CalFlowers Newsletters
Click Here to view past CalFlowers Newsletters now available on our website.
CalFlowers News
Our goal is to communicate with our members and interested parties on a monthly basis about recent, past, and upcoming events, program updates, and general information about CalFlowers engagement in the industry on behalf of the membership.
If you have an announcement or story you think our members should see, contact Monnaie Pepin, Director of Communications, Events and Administration.
2022 - 2023
Membership Directory Available Online
To purchase additional printed copies of the 2022 - 2023 Membership Directory please Contact Lani Conklin.
For Members Only Access
Click Here for a quick reference guide on how to log into the members only site.
CalFlowers
Social Media
Visit the CalFlowers Facebook page
Check in for news, upcoming events, photos, and topical items.
Click below to find us on:
@Calflowers_association
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Fun 'N Sun Updates:
Sponsorships:
We want to offer you the opportunity to increase awareness of your organization and gain new customers at our upcoming biennial Fun ‘N Sun Convention, “All About Flowers”.
Fun ‘N Sun is set for August 29 – September 1, 2022, and will be held at the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA.
There are many sponsorship opportunities available, and here’s just a sampling:
- Host the golf tournament lunch on Monday,
- Sponsor the Fun 'N Sun Floral Display,
- Contribute to the flower fair pre-show event on Tuesday,
- Cover lunch at the Wednesday Flower Fair, or
- Pony up for the photographer’s fee.
The sooner you check out the full list of sponsorship opportunities and sign up, the better the chance that you will find the perfect vehicle to market your organization.
If your sponsorship form is submitted before April 20th, your company name and sponsorship will appear in our full color brochure, which will be sent out to over 2,500 members and prospects.
Each sponsoring organization will be included
- in the Fun ‘N Sun program book that will be handed out to each attendee
- on all signage during the convention
- on the CalFlowers website
- in Social Media posts leading up to the convention
Click Here for the complete list of sponsorship opportunities.
If you have any questions about sponsorship, please contact Chris Johnson @ (760) 533-5580 - [email protected].
Room Block & Overflow
Our room block at the Hotel del Coronado is just about sold out. If you are not able to get the room nights you need at the Del, check out the overflow hotel information on our website by clicking here.
Booth & Tabletop Reservations
An email announcing the date and time the booth / tabletop reservations will be going out to all members will be sent in the coming days. We are waiting on the fire marshal approval of the floor plan, which we expect to get back any day now.
Convention Registration:
Convention Registration will open in the next few weeks. We are busy finalizing the exciting events, educational sessions and hands-on classes. An email announcement will be sent out with all of the information you will need to register soon.
Thank you to the following companies for sponsoring the 2022 Fun 'N Sun "All About Flowers" Convention:
Armellini Logistics
CamFlor Inc.
Continental Floral Greens
Details Flowers Software
Floral Supply Syndicate
Golden State Flowers, Inc.
Joseph & Sons Inc.
San Francisco Flower Market
Smithers-Oasis
Texas State Floral Association
Transflora
Wafex USA, LLC
2022 - 2023 Membership Dues Invoices Sent
Your 2022 - 2023 membership dues renewal notification were emailed on April 1. Make payment before June 1 to retain your member benefits, which include discounted transportation rates from FedEx, GLS, and OnTrac; your company listing in our online member directory; an invitation to the biennial Fun 'N Sun convention; networking opportunities within the floral community, and much more. Look for your membership renewal email with a convenient link and instructions for how to pay your dues invoice using your credit card.
Dues Payment Address Change:
If Paying by Check Make Payment to:
California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers
Attn: Ken Rosin
6505 Rosemead Blvd., Suite #306
Pico Rivera, CA 90660
If you did not receive your dues renewal email on April 1 or have any questions or concerns, please contact Lani Conklin at (831) 479-4912 ext. 2 or via email at [email protected].
(Note: To ensure that you receive the dues renewal notification emails from CalFlowers, you can whitelist [email protected] by adding it to your list of Safe Senders. If you are not sure how to do this, please contact your company's technical support team.)
CalFlowers New Member Spotlights
"New Bloom Solutions and Above All Flowers are strong believers that the floral trade must make the connection between buyer and seller much closer and more cost-efficient. We also feel that providing technology, innovative tools, logistical assistance, business solutions, and consulting along with product sourcing and marketing facilitation will put our clients and buyers ahead of their competition. We are here to help all sectors of the industry Innovate, Connect, and Bloom. (Sahid Nahim pictured right.)
From floral retailers to front-line farmers, NBS partners with clients at every segment of the floral industry supply chain to help transform their organizations, embed innovation into all that they do and build businesses that thrive. Using our fast network of industry experts, we are able to help you leverage our connection in order to achieve your goals. As a results-driven partner, our clients depend on New Bloom Solutions & Above All Flowers to execute through the complex, important challenges our industry is facing - to empower sustainable, long-term successes.
 Our partnership with Above All Flowers, David Kaplan pictured left, allows us not only to help in achieving your technology and marketing goals but to help expand your product offering and customer base. We work with all sectors of the industry which allows us to offer you integrated solutions. It is not about outsiders dictating how you should run your already successful business. The world is changing rapidly and our goals are for everyone to win. Providing value as well as unique products are our specialty." Some services include Website Development, SEO, Market Facilitation, Brand Awareness Building, Product procurement, Business Consulting, and much more. If you have a pain point we have solutions or can connect you to someone that does.
Contact New Bloom Solutions / Above All Flowers and they will help you Innovate, Connect, and Bloom."
Click Here to view their website.
At Arango Green Growers Wholesale, all they had was a bucket and a dream. Many moons ago Alfonso and Koky (pictured right) came to America to create the American dream. From their agriculture roots in Oaxaca, it was natural for the couple to purse farming in California. Both having 30 plus years in the flower industry, from Koky working as a designer and Alfonso in cultivating roses.
They finally pursued their dream and began their journey in the year 2000. In the back of their 1990 wagon, they started harvesting and delivering Greens to local distributors and florist around southern California. Growing and learning new possibilities in the floral industry. Her daughter, Magaly joins in 2008 making it a family business. They grow and distribute more than 100 different varieties of greens, eucalyptus, and fresh cut flowers. They are based in Vista, California and grow and distribute straight from their farm. To make it possible to produce and have the longest shelf life in our product. Arango Green Growers Wholesale strives to ship all product within 24 hours of harvesting them.
What they are best known for is the tinting of their products with colors ranging from metallics to the colors of the rainbow. They pride themselves in having the best quality merchandise for all their customers. This allows them to have the confidence that their product will always be fresh.
Click Here to read more about Arango Green Growers Wholesale.
Transportation
With Mother’s Day approaching, we have sent out our usual shipping schedules / information for various carriers in our system. If you didn’t receive your copy, send me an email and I’ll forward one to you. We will, however, send out additional updated versions as the holiday gets closer.
For our members who plan to ship box counts over and above historical / normal Mother's Day volumes, these projections must be communicated to FedEx in order to ensure your shipments get processed on time. In this very busy shipping environment that we find ourselves in, please note that failure to communicate higher than normal / historical Mother's Day volumes run the risk of FedEx leaving your shipments behind due to capacity constraints. Of note, since the holiday falls on a Sunday, Saturday delivery fees remain at our normal 50% off.
For our FedEx Shippers, I strongly recommend checking the “Service Alerts” section of the FedEx website each morning for the latest. Here is the link: : https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-alerts.html. Here you will find the most current alerts and service disruption alerts updated each day.
A few reminders:
- FedEx has reinstated the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) for CalFlowers members, however, keep in mind, delays due to hazardous or disruptive weather are not eligible for shipping credits.
- As of late, we have seen a rise in incorrect invoicing due lack of box dims being listed on the waybill. As a best practice, be sure to indicate the box dimensions on your booking/waybill as this will help if there is a dispute regarding the size of your box and ultimately your invoice.
As costs rise for our carriers, surcharges have risen as well across the board. For those members wanting to reference the latest FedEx Surcharges and Fees click here. Remember, CalFlowers members have many significant discounts off of these surcharges which add excellent value to our program. For a list our surcharge discounts, please refer to the FedEx Program Summary on our website.
For members looking for the latest Program Summary and Rates for 2022, we now have them posted up on our website for review.
For qualifying members wanting to contact their local FedEx representative, feel free to contact me and I will put you in touch with the right person. It’s always a good idea to establish a relationship with your local FedEx field representatives who can help out when you need them or have questions.
To all our new members who are just starting with FedEx shipping, they have a nice “Customer Training” service that is available upon request. This service offers shippers direct one-on-one assistance from FedEx covering many of the questions new shippers may have. If you are interested in signing up, please contact Chris Johnson [email protected]. FedEx also has some excellent information for new shippers on their website. Visit: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/get-started.html for a good summary of what FedEx offers
For members needing FedEx Tech Support, this phone number takes your right into the department (877) 339-2774. They can help with many tech-related issues including guidance regarding on-line shipping platforms.
We would also like to remind members to stay current with their FedEx Express shipping invoices. FedEx payment terms are 15 days. All members shipping on FedEx Express are expected to stay within the FedEx payment terms. To obtain your invoice details and payment options, please contact FedEx Customer Service.
GLS is reporting record volumes at this time. Combine this with weather and labor shortages causing operational challenges, on-time deliveries in some areas can be affected.
The good news here is that even though GLS has not officially re-instated their Money Back Guarantee (shipping costs), they HAVE amended that policy for CalFlowers members. Our agreement with GLS now states that they will credit shipping costs to member shippers if the shipment is not delivered on the scheduled day of delivery. Members will need to request this within 48 hours by contacting customer service by sending an email to: [email protected]. Include your account number, tracking number and explanation. Let them know you are seeking shipping charges credited.
Regarding claims on product (inside the box), Generally speaking, GLS will entertain a claim if the box is missing / lost or damage is present on the exterior of the package. GLS will not generally process a claim simply if a box is delivered late. For complete details, please visit www.gls-us.com.
For members who have not downloaded the GLS 2022 Program Summary and Pricing, we have it available on our website. This year we negotiated a modest 3% increase vs the 5.9% increase that went into effect for 2022.
The CalFlowers GLS program is one of our fastest growing, most value-priced offerings, with discounts over 70% off standard rates. GLS offers later pick-ups and earlier deliveries while providing express door-to-door services covering CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, NM, UT, and ID. Members who want to ship on GLS must sign up in advance. It’s easy and just takes a few minutes. Please contact Chris Johnson for more details at (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].
Please use the Delivery Rates & Times Calculator to view delivery dates and estimated.
Airlines:
Please note, we have a new Account Manager in at Alaska Air Cargo, Mike Narowski. Mike comes to us with a wide variety of air carrier experience and can be reached at [email protected]
If you have been taking advantage of our new CalFlowers/Alaska Airlines shipping program, you know this offering really delivers when it comes to value. Our program offers EXCELLENT pricing to many areas of the country from California, while adding a few new destinations such as Seattle, Portland, and Anchorage. Check out all the program details on our website.
As a reminder, JetBlue offers CalFlowers members exceptional express prices out of LAX / SFO to Boston, New York, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Puerto Rico and now NEWARK (EWR).
These new rates are some of the best that we’ve see in some time. For more information, please contact Chris Johnson at [email protected] or Mark Friedenthal at JetBlue Cargo (310) 490-2659.
NOTE: Transportation Rate information and documents are viewable/downloadable as PDFs on the CalFlowers Members Only site. Please note that these documents are considered sensitive material and are available to the primary contacts for Ag Buddy, Associate Floral, Associate Grower, and Floral members.
Welcome New CalFlowers Members
We are pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers members from March 23 - April 12, 2022:
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