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In This Issue ...
- New CalFlowers Officers
- "CaliFlora 2019" - A Success
- Transportation
- Featured New Members
- New Members
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
2020
Flowers Of The Month:
THE HOLLY
Holly symbolizes a wish for domestic happiness.
Although some animals and birds enjoy holly berries, they are semi-toxic to humans.
The good news is that deer tend to avoid eating holly, which makes them a deer-resistant plant for gardens.
THE NARCISSUS
(PAPERWHITE)
Narcissus conveys that you want your beloved to stay just the way they are.
While there are many types of flowers in the genus Narcissus (including the daffodil), the paperwhite is the winter-growing variety and the birth flower for December.
For Members Only Access
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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.
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New CalFlowers Officers
At the December quarterly board meeting, the board installed the new officers for the coming year:
- Frank Biddle, President
- Steve Dionne, Vice President
- Marc Robinson, Treasurer
- Ben Dobbe, Immediate Past President
Passing of the Gavel
Frank Biddle (right) leads the board in thanking Ben Dobbe (left) for
his energy and passion over the past two years as Board President. Frank noted that during Ben's tenure, membership grew at a steady pace, industry relations grew even stronger and his term was topped off with an extremely successful Fun 'N Sun in Santa Barbara this past July.
Special Mention
Exiting as Past President this year is Mike Mooney. Mike stepped into his leadership role at CalFlowers during a time of great transition and successfully led the association to exciting new heights. Mike’s expansive and positive view of the industry helped to create many strong bonds throughout the floriculture business and we thank him for all of his efforts on behalf of CalFlowers.
"CaliFlora 2019" - A Success
The California State Floral Association’s (CSFA) annual event - “CaliFlora 2019” – “Floral Artistry Showcase” was hosted by the ‘The Original Los Angeles Flower Market’.
CalFlowers was a proud sponsor of the 2019 Top Ten Design Competition this year. Mary Anne Mertz, Mary Anne Mertz Floral Design was this year’s Top Ten Winner. Mary Anne will be invited to represent CSFA in the Society of American Florists Sylvia Cup Competition in 2020. Congratulations to Mary Anne and all those who competed in this year’s Top Ten design competition!
During the Sunday afternoon program, the California State Floral Association honored Peggi Ridgway from the Bloomin’ News for her Leadership, and Exemplary Contributions to the California State Floral Association and the entire floral Industry. Congratulations Peggi! (pictured from left to right - Wilton Lee, Peggi Ridgway and Ann Quinn)
Click Here to read the entire story and see all of the photos.
Transportation
As a reminder, current shipping rates and program information is up on the CalFlowers Members' Only website. Members using their log-ins can access this information anytime. Rates on FedEx, GLS, OnTrac, and airlines can all be found, as well as other handy information. For questions or comments on any of our programs, please contact Chris Johnson for assistance at (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].
Our new rates for 2020 will be available starting Jan 6. Shipping until that time will reflect 2019 pricing. FedEx will implement a 4.9% General Rate Increase (GRI) for 2020 but we have negotiated a reduced 3.5% rate increase for our membership. These new rates will be posted on our website Jan 6th and more information will be coming out very soon regarding other details for 2020.
Please also note that due to the yearly Holiday shipping season, FedEx Money Back Guarantee (MBG) will be suspended from November 3 to December 24, 2019. After this time, the Money Back Guarantee will be reinstated to all FedEx customers.
And in other Money Back Guarantee news, new guidelines have been issued by FedEx regarding the MBG. Beginning immediately, shippers requesting a MBG on a shipment must make the request no longer than 15 days from the invoice date. Requests after the 15-day time period will not be honored.
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.
For members who wish to move PALLETIZED freight on FedEx, CalFlowers can help direct you to customized solutions and pricing. FedEx Freight is an excellent option when your shipments call for pallets. Interested members should contact Chris Johnson at [email protected] for more information.
What’s in a name? Well GSO is now officially GLS! The latest in the GSO / GLS merger is that the new corporate name and logo has now officially been released as “GLS”.
The GLS Group is excited to combine their decades of experience and expertise as a top-rated European parcel delivery provider. You will see the new GLS name and logo on its website, supplies, vehicles, communications, uniforms, and facilities. Click Here to learn more about GLS.
Our 2020 GLS program pricing is almost ready. We should the complete updated program summary posted up on our website as soon as its available. Members can expect only a 3% average increase this year vs. a 4.9 normal increase for other customers.
The CalFlowers GLS program is one of our most value-priced offerings. GLS provides door-to-door services to CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, NM, and ID. Click here for the latest GLS promo flyer.
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].
Our 2020 OnTrac Program update is just about completed. This year members will only see a 1% increase in an effort to hold down prices. OnTrac regular yearly increase is 4.9%. Look for our updated program on the CalFlowers website in late December.
We know that OnTrac got their start in California and services every ZIP code in California, but did you know OnTrac also services seven other Western States? OnTrac has 2-day service into WA, OR, ID, NV, UT, AZ, and CO. And to help understand the service parameters, OnTrac has a very nice “Time and Transit Map” under Zip Tools on their website. This handy map loaded from YOUR zip code helps you understand OnTrac’s overnight commitment areas. To download your map, please visit: https://www.ontrac.com/servicesareas.asp.
Airlines:
 If you haven’t yet heard about the new CalFlowers/Alaska Airlines shipping program, this exclusive offer is now available for CalFlowers members. The new Priority Rates are the best we have seen in years and with the Virgin merger completed, Alaska Airlines has an extensive network servicing major popular destinations all across the U.S. Our program works outbound and inbound out of SAN, LAX, and SFO. Click Here to download the handy link outlining Alaska Airlines INBOUND service to the west coast. To take advantage of this exceptional program, interested members must sign up. Please contact Chris Johnson to get started at (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].
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.
Featured New Members
Founded in 2003, FGmarket began as an online trade show. They wanted to offer a place for independent retailers to easily connect with wholesalers and suppliers from all over. Recognizing that local businesses were lacking a good way to make connections, they wanted to help. Their community has grown to include thousands of wholesalers and suppliers from the US and Canada.
With Flower Shop Network as their parent company, FGmarket noticed local shops needed a better way to find floral and gift suppliers and wholesalers without having to leave their store. Florists can easily make business connections from the comfort of their computer. An average of 20,000 visitors are searching through the FGmarket community per day to find everything they need for their business.
Looking for new gift lines or supplies? FGmarket is a retailer’s direct connection to thousands of gift, supply, and floral wholesalers. Their directory is a valuable resource that includes artisans, suppliers, manufacturers, growers, etc.
FGmarket also offers several marketing opportunities for floral wholesalers and retailers. Thousands of florists are logging on every day to send and receive orders, which means an unlimited amount of exposure. Advertise nationally or enjoy priority placement in chosen states.
Helping you find wholesalers across the country who can provide what you need is just the start. FGmarket is your resource for supplies and products, plus information on the latest marketing trends and techniques.
Click Here to learn more about FGmarket.
In 1997, Flower Shop Network owners Brock and Loranne Atwill, had the opportunity to open a flower shop in Paragould, Arkansas. Loranne had served as CFO of Redbook Florist Services (a floral wire service) for over 13 years, and was eager to pursue the retail side of the business. With Brock's marketing background, they enthusiastically opened their flower shop. Soon Brock and Loranne began to understand what the local florists face in this ever-changing market. They realized how order gatherers and others make it difficult for consumers to find real local florists. They also saw the lack of effective resources (especially online) available for locally-owned florists to help themselves. Thus, Flower Shop Network was born.
With over 20 years of experience, Flower Shop Network is breaking the mold of your average wire service. In fact, they aren’t a wire service at all. At Flower Shop Network, florists receive website orders at 100% of their order value with no monthly fees and payment within 72 hours.
With a network of over 7,000 members, you’ll never have to worry about coverage. Flower Shop Network can handle all of your orders, nationally and internationally, and interfaces with numerous POS systems. Sending florists for all F2F orders keep 20%, while receiving florists get 80%.
As a member of Flower Shop Network, you’ll have access to the tools and resources you need to compete in today's marketplace. From custom websites to personalized email campaigns to social media management, FSN can handle it all.
Click Here to learn more about Flower Shop Network.
The mission of Slow Flowers is to inspire the floral industry and its consumers to support local, seasonal, and sustainable flowers. As an advocacy campaign, brand-marketing platform and professional community, the Slow Flowers Movement highlights the benefits of and promotes cultivation and sales of local, seasonal and sustainable flowers, while nurturing authentic connections between consumers, farmers and florists.
Since the joint debut of founder Debra Prinzing's (pictured below) award-winning book Slow Flowers and the launch of the Slow Flowers Podcast in 2013, our activities include:
- Defining the "Slow Flowers Movement" and establish it as a relevant niche in the floral marketplace
- Creating and growing a community-based society that encourages, informs, educates, inspires and connects people in the domestic floral marketplace
- Producing original content and document the stories of pioneering people, farms, studios and flowers who together are changing the conversation around flower sourcing and design practices
- Inspiring a grassroots renaissance that engages all floral channels in B2C and B2B opportunities to improve domestic floral sales
- Engaging the media with a compelling narrative by providing creative assets and resources
Slow Flowers gives a name and terminology to what was once considered "fringe" or less-than-mainstream in the floral marketplace. By giving voice to domestic flower farmers and helping florists leverage their connections with domestic/locally-grown and seasonal flowers and foliage, Slow Flowers is today accepted as a relevant floral industry niche and considered a viable branding and business option for professionals in the floral marketplace.
Click Here to learn more about Slow Flowers.
*Photo by: Missy Palacol Photograpy
New Members
We are pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers members:
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