In This Issue ...

1. New Directors Join CalFlowers Board in 2021
2. CalFlowers Commits To Seasons 4 & 5
3. Ads Starting As Low As $100
4. Featured New Member
5. Transportation
6. New Members 
   

Upcoming Events:

February 2021
WF&FSA 2021 Floral Distribution Conference
February 22 - 24
The Doral, Miami, Florida

July 2021
AIFD Symposium - "DNA"
July 1 - 6
Hilton
Chicago, IL

August 2021
CalFlowers Presents:
All About Flowers
August 25 - 28
Hotel del Coronado
Coronado, CA

Latest Legislation
Updates:

Click Here to read the latest Legislative updates.

 CalFlowers
Social Media

Visit the CalFlowers Facebook page 

Check in for news, upcoming events, photos, and topical items.  

December
Flowers of The Month:

December’s flowers may be very different from each other—one being a bulb and the other an evergreen—but they both symbolize hope.

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 

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 paper white is the winter-growing variety and the birth flower for December.  

CalFlowers
"New Member" Spotlights

To see all of our past "New Member" Spotlight stories Click Here.

Past CalFlowers Newsletters & COVID-19 Updates

Click Here to view past CalFlowers Past Newsletters and COVID-19 Updates, now available on our website.

CalFlowers News

New Directors Join CalFlowers Board in 2021

CalFlowers is very pleased to announce that 4 new Directors will join the Board in 2021.

The Board of Directors is the lifeblood of any effective industry trade organization.  Our association, as with all others, relies on industry professionals to voluntarily step forward and accept the work and responsibility that comes with taking a Board seat.  Many will find, as I have during my time serving on CalFlowers’ Board, that the process is very rewarding as it allows us to give back to the industry that has given us so much.  Joining our Board, or that of other industry associations or community non-profits, is an excellent mechanism for professional growth, for networking with your peers, and for gaining a deeper understanding of segments of the industry that your day-to-day operations may not provide.   Participating at the Director level requires each person to accept fiduciary responsibility for the Board’s actions and to always keep primary focus on making sound decisions that will benefit the industry stakeholders that the association represents.  I would encourage all CalFlowers Floral members to consider increasing your engagement with the association at either the Committee or Board levels and enjoy the rewards of voluntarily working with your industry peers to achieve common goals and broad industry benefits. 

With that, I would like to welcome our new Directors:

Robin van der Schaaf is General Manager of Flamingo Holland Inc.  Through his work involving import and sales of flower bulbs to domestic farmers, he has a deep working knowledge of that corner of the industry.

Todd Ingham is Director of New Business Development and Mass Market Sales for Dramm Echter Farms.  Todd has worked in numerous segments of the industry over a 30-year career, including both cut flowers and potted plants, wholesale and mass market channels, and domestic and South American production.

Kim Kudo brings strong working knowledge of CalFlowers, having served prior in every Officer position of the CalFlowers board including Board President.   Kim is owner and operator of Kim’s Flower Network Inc., a well-established distributor of California flowers, and she also has been a key contributor to our biannual Fun&Sun convention.

Farai Madziva is the Vice President of Kitayama Brothers, Inc.  Farai came to California by way of Kenya, bringing experience as General Manager of rose farm Harvest Flowers, as well as serving as CEO of New Forests a company based in Uganda and involved in forest management and timber production.

I would like to thank, on behalf of CalFlowers, these 4 new Directors and the entire Board of Directors of CalFlowers for giving their time, talents, and expertise for the benefit of the entire CalFlowers membership.

Steve Dionne
CalFlowers Executive Director

From left to right:
Robin van der Schaaf, Todd Ingham, Kim Kudo and Farai Madziva

“CalFlowers Commits to Seasons 4 and 5 of “Life In Bloom” Ahead of Season 3 Debut”

“We’re excited to announce CalFlowers has committed to continue as an underwriter for seasons four and five of the public television show J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom on public television (PBS) – ahead of season three’s launch!” says J Schwanke, creator and host of the show. “I can’t thank CalFlowers enough for their continued support of the show and the faith in our efforts that this commitment demonstrates.”

“CalFlowers’ mission is to encourage more Americans to enjoy more flowers more often. Part of the enjoyment of cut flowers comes from our consumers learning a variety of ways to utilize flowers in their daily lives, and understanding important aspects such as origins and proper handling,” noted Steve Dionne, Executive Director for the organization. “We view J as an extremely positive and effective spokesperson for our industry, and are proud to support the ongoing success of Life in Bloom.”

CalFlowers Board President Frank Biddle echoed Dionne’s sentiment concisely, “J rocks!”

Click Here to read the complete press release.

Membership Directory Ads Starting At $100

You are invited to advertise in the CalFlowers 2021 Membership Directory. This is an excellent promotional opportunity for members to be seen throughout the industry. You do not need to be a CalFlowers member to advertise.

Ads are on a First-Come, First-Served basis. The deadline for your Ad Insertion Order is 12/31/20 and all artwork needs to be in by 1/5/21.

Click Here to see our rates and details.

For more information contact: [email protected] or via phone at
(831) 479-4912 ext. 2.

Featured New Member

Flora Family Farm is a 60-acre nursery in Central Florida. They are a family run business, breaking into the e-Commerce industry. Annuals, perennials, edibles, ornamentals, roses, and houseplants are a few of the items they offer. While they pride themselves on high standards and the quality of plants they deliver, Flora Family Farm believes that there is always more to learn.

Gardening has brought their family together for generations, and family is at the center of who they are. Not just because they are a family-run business, but because gardening time is quality time and a great way to put roots down together. It helps turn your house into a home. 

Flora Family Farm knows the benefits and joy that comes from watching plants thrive. They also know that gardening for the first time can be intimidating, but it should be nothing but fun. It’s all about the journey and enjoying the time you put into it. Everyone deserves this experience, and it’s why they harvest fresh from the farm and offer prompt plant delivery. And when you’re a part of the family, we stick around to help you foster enduring plants. 

As an e-commerce business, not only do they sell material from their farm, they have partnered with other quality growers across the nation to be able to offer a plant availability that works for all customers. Being a Life-Style brand, they plan to expand their product line by adding unique, quality items for gifts, home, and garden.

The Barber Family (pictured above)

Click Here to learn more about Flora Family Farm.

Transportation

As many of you may know, the Overnight Carriers are experiencing huge volumes during this COVID-19 pandemic. Add the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday surge, and you have an unprecedented storm of high volumes being shipped.  Our carriers are experiencing record volumes and are working hard to cope with the added stresses on their systems.  With these conditions, it’s a good idea to look carefully at the service level you choose when evaluating delivery time options.  Many have found that choosing a service that delivers earlier, helps to keep your customers expectations in line with the current environment.

As a reminder, current shipping rates and program information is 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].

I will be sending out updated information in December to all members regarding our 2021 rates and program summaries for our carriers.  As we know, these changes take place after the first of the year.  Currently we are putting together the changes and will have them ready as soon as possible.

FedEx Supplies:

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY -  Please order supplies asap to ensure delivery prior to the holiday hold. No supplies will be shipped from December 14 through December 25.  

Here is a link to Holiday Schedules from FedEx: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-guide/holiday-schedule.html

For the official FedEx Covid update click here: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/coronavirus.html

To all of 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 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.  

As a reminder, the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) is still suspended until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the very large shipping volumes resulting from it.  Also, bear in mind, when the MBG is reinstated, shippers must make the request no later than 15 days from the invoice date.  Requests after the 15 day time period will not be honored.

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.

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.

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].   

Corona Virus Update from GLS: https://go.gls-us.com/rs/841-ZVM-252/images/GLSUS-COVID19-Update.pdf

I will have a 2021 Program Update out as soon as we receive our new rates from GLS.   Regarding surcharges and fees, CalFlowers has negotiated special discounts off of these general fees for members, resulting in significant savings.  Fees such as Address Correction Fee, Adult Signature Required Fee and Residential Delivery Fee to name a few.  These changes can be found at www.gso.com.      

OnTrac Corona Virus Update: https://www.ontrac.com/coronavirus.asp

Keep an eye out for our 2021 Ontrac Program update for the new year coming in December.

We know that OnTrac got their start in California and services every ZIP code within 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:

In Airline news, for those members that missed our announcement, CalFlowers has put together a new program with JetBlue Cargo.  JetBlue offers CalFlowers members exceptional express prices out of LAX to Boston, New York, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Puerto Rico and now NEWARK (EWR).  These new rates are some of the best 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.

For those members looking for airline service to Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton out of LAX and SFO, consider Air Canada Cargo.  Our discounted pricing offers good value and frequent service.  For more information on these new rates from Air Canada, visit our website or contact me anytime at [email protected].

Recently we added Air Canada Cargo rates to our transportation portfolio.  Our discounted pricing offers good value to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton out of LAX and SFO.  For more information on these new rates from Air Canada, visit our website or contact me contact me anytime at [email protected].

If you haven’t yet heard about the new CalFlowers/Alaska Airlines shipping program, this exclusive offer is now available for CalFlowers members.

There will be some significant changes to this popular program for the 2021 year. We are currently working with Alaska to finalize these program improvements and we should have them available in December.

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.

New Members

We are pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers members from November 5 - December 14:

www.cafgs.org 

Ph. 831-479-4912 | Fax 831-479-4914