In This Issue ...

1. Special "Members Only Program" With SFP
2. 2021 Virtual Great Lakes Floral & Event Expo
3. SAF to Launch Plant - Focused Virtual Event in March
4. The Passing of Klazina Dobbe
5. California Certified Florist 2021 Floral Design Class Series
6. Featured New Members
7. Transportation
8. New Members 

Upcoming Events:

March 2021
GLFEE
Petaling Into The Future
March 7, 2021

June 2021
WF&FSA 2021 Floral Distribution Conference
June 7 - 9
The Doral, Miami, Florida

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.  

February
Flowers of The Month:

The February birth month flowers are the violet and the primrose. 

With Valentine’s Day on people’s minds, February is a big month for flowers. But, oddly enough, the red rose is not February’s birth month flower! Find out which flowers belong to February, plus the meanings behind them below:

Violet

Violets signify watchfulness, loyalty, and faithfulness.

Give a violet to someone to let them know you’ll always be there for them!

Primrose

The other February birth flower is the primrose, which lets someone know you can’t live without them.

Primroses are colorful perennials of European origin that are not actually related to the rose. Among the first to bloom as winter retreats, they’ll multiply each year if given a little shade and moist (but not soggy) soil. 

CalFlowers
Featured
"New Member" Spotlights

To see all of our past Featured "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

Special "Members Only Program" With SFP

Service First Processing (SFP) provides credit card and electronic payment processing for businesses.  

Service First Processing (SFP) and CalFlowers have put together a special “members only program” with exclusive benefits that are designed to reduce your cost of credit card processing while improving your level of service and support.

CalFlowers members receive:

• An annual 10% rebate on the net processing revenue SFP generates from the account
• Free loaner equipment
• Free Enhanced Online Reporting
• Dedicated Help Line for CalFlowers members & affiliates
• 60 day trial period / 90 Day Pilot Program for Members New to Credit Card Acceptance

Additionally, members have access to a suite of electronic payment tools to help streamline your Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable.

AP Automation

• Pay vendors from anywhere, at any time
• Reduce the time and money spent on A/P processing
• Enhance your security and control of the payables process

ACH Tools

• Stop waiting for checks
• Accept ACH payments via phone and online
• Accept ACH (like a check) by debiting client’s account with virtual authorization
• Next day funding

Online Invoicing

• Custom branded invoice design - Easily create custom invoices directly online
• Create recurring invoicing - Auto-bill clients
• Bulk E-mailing - Save time by quickly selecting multiple invoices and emailing them out together
• Quickly & easily provide payment information to customers including all of their open invoices

Call Today (866) 372-5551 or Click Here to get your
member quote.

2021 Virtual Great Lakes Floral & Event Expo Promises To Be Like None Other!

The members of the Great Lakes Floral Association (GLFA) will be “Petaling Into The Future” at the 2021 Virtual Great Lakes Floral & Event Expo on Sunday March 7, 2021.  “The event is being hosted and produced on a state of the art virtual meeting platform, it promises to provide a very high quality experience for our industry.” says Rodney Crittenden GLFA EVP/CEO.   

It begins promptly at 9:00am EST and features a full day of design and business sessions presented by some of our industries leading authorities.  Attendees will be able to ask questions via live chat during each session.  The platform also provides for a virtual trade show where attendees can learn about exhibitor products and services and schedule time for a follow up visit after the event.  

CalFlowers is a proud "Double Platinum" GLFEE Session Sponsor.

Click Here to learn more about "Petaling Into The Future".

SAF to Launch Plant - Focused Virtual Event in March

This March, the Society of American Florists will launch its first ever Great Big Plant Event – a library of tools and resources designed to help florists improve their plant business, feel inspired and connect with industry partners.

The Passing of Klazina Dobbe

Klazina Dobbe: July 3, 1952 - February 5, 2021

February 5, 2021, our beloved Klazina Dobbe passed away peacefully in the presence of her husband and best friend for 50+ years. Klazina was adored by her family, she is survived by her loving husband, Benno, her three children Nicolette (and Rob), Ben (and Jennifer), Stefan (and Jodi), 10 grandchildren, and one great grandchild all who lovingly called her Oma. 

Klazina Wilhelmina Looij Dobbe was born on July 3, 1952 in Den Helder, the Netherlands. She met the love of her life, Benno, on December 26, 1965 and they married on December 18, 1970. Benno and Klazina had a beautiful love story that only grew stronger celebrating 50 years of marriage this last December. Their 3 children Nicolette, Ben and Stefan were born in the Netherlands, after which the family of 5 immigrated to the United States on July 20, 1980, where they started a new life in Woodland, WA. 

Click Here to read more.

California Certified Florist 2021 Floral Design Class Series

Flower Adventures Await! 

Spring Floral Design Class Series:
Color Study and Mastery of the Hand-Tied Bouquet

• Thursday Evenings
• March 4,11, and 25, 2021

Class Enrollment and Instruction Fees:

• CSFA Members: $225
• Non-Members: $325
• Materials fee for all participants: $120
• Materials fee is not included with Enrollment Fee

Fresh Material Kits provided each week through Flora Fresh, delivery available.  Click Here for more information and how to register for these exciting classes.       

Featured New Members

Certified American Grown is a nonprofit membership organization made up of diverse cut flower and foliage farms from throughout the U.S. Our member farms represent over half of all U.S. cut flower and foliage production. With a mission of helping domestic flower and foliage farmers thrive, our work focuses on building a healthy, sustainable and prosperous American flower-farming community. Formerly under the auspices of the California Cut Flower Commission but now an independent organization, Certified American Grown is the only floral group that certifies the origin of the flowers and foliage our members grow, process, package and market.

Membership in the refreshed organization is building as more and more farmers understand the benefits of Certified American Grown’s work to open markets, increase sales of domestic flowers and foliage, and spread the “origin matters” message to consumers.

As a trade association, Certified American Grown will continue its efforts to lobby on behalf of cut flower and foliage farmers in Washington, D.C., sponsor American Grown Flowers Month in July, host the annual American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour and give consumers confidence in the source of their flowers and foliage by providing the only third-party guarantee in the floral industry that the bouquets and bunches they purchase are American Grown.

Click Here to learn more and join the movement.  

Looking for an innovative partner to enhance your flowers?

Broekhof is a global supplier of packaging and decorative material for the flower and plant industry. The company was founded in the Netherlands in 1974 and in 2017 an addition to the company was opened in Miami, from where they are already serving many customers in North America, including some innovative Californian companies.

Their current catalogue shows a large number of trendy packaging that is created with natural products like FSC paper and wood. Their large assortment consists of sleeves, picks, bags, paper, pots & vases, decoration and transport materials – Broekhof has it all.

Broekhof believes it is important to design products in a responsible way with a focus on what their clients need and to stay friendly for the environment. With sustainability in focus for the past 5 years, Broekhof has been continuously developing new packaging concepts. Their packaging solutions are specifically designed to extend the lifecycle of flowers and plants through aesthetic protection. With their in house design department Broekhof is able to create customized solutions following the preferences of their clients. Contact Lourdes Reyes if you are interested to learn more about what they can do for you, she is happy to assist you to explore how Broekhof can add value to your product.

Transportation

As many of you may know, the Overnight Carriers are still experiencing huge volumes during this COVID-19 pandemic.  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.

Also, as is normally the case in February, weather can be an issue.  We recommend checking with FedEx for any Service Alerts that can affect shipping:  https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-alerts.html.  These Service Alerts are issued daily and can be helpful in managing your expectations during inclement weather.

As a reminder, new 2021 shipping rates and program information is now 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].

For those members wanting to reference the latest Surcharges and Fees for 2021, we have posted this information on our website or members can CLICK HERE.  You will find a handy summary of what to expect for the year.  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 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 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.  

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 MBG 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.

As mentioned above, the 2021 GLS shipping rates and program summary are now up on our website with all the details and changes for the new year.   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

For members looking for the 2021 OnTrac program and rates, they are now available at www.cafgs.org.  Our program this year features many reductions in various surcharges that offer great value to customers.  Be sure to check out what’s new with OnTrac.

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.

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

Airlines:

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.  2021 offers even greater rate reductions 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.

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.

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].

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

New Members

We are pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers members from January 14 - February 17, 2021:

www.cafgs.org 

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