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In This Issue ...
- Fun 'N Sun 2017
- Board Reduces Floral Dues; Implements Manual Processing Fee
- Pat Dahlson Elected to CalFlowers BoD
- CalFlowers to Study Impact of Marijuana Legalization on CA Floral Industry
- Memorial Day Flowers 2017
- New COO / GM of San Francisco Flower Mart LLC
- Featured New Member of the Month
- Transportation Updates
- New Members
Going Social ...
Members, please follow us on Instagram @CalifFlowers and hashtag #CalFlowers. Watch for event or news-specific hashtags. And we welcome your photos! Please share with Michael LoBue at [email protected].
Upcoming Events
World Floral Expo
March 22 - 24, 2017
Las Vegas, NV
AIFD 2017
July 1 -5, 2017
Seattle, WA
Fun 'N Sun
August 9 - 12, 2017
Park Hyatt Aviara
Carlsbad, CA
SAF Annual Convention
September 6 - 9, 2017
Palm Beach, FL
WF&FSA Floral Distribution Conference
October 18 - 20, 2017
Miami, FL
CalFlowers News
Our goal is to communicate on a monthly basis with the membership and interested parties about recent past and upcoming events, program updates, and general information about how CalFlowers is engaging in the industry on behalf of the membership.
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Fun 'N Sun 2017 - Save The Date
Registration information will be sent out in April.
Board Reduces Floral Dues; Implements Manual Processing Fee
At their March 2017 meeting, the CalFlowers Board of Directors voted to reduce their Floral Membership annual dues from the current $795 per year to $295 per year. This brings the Floral dues structure into parity with the Associate membership category, which has been and remains $295 per year.
In making this decision, the board considered the fact that a majority of Floral Members have enjoyed a considerable discount each year by renewing early, and thus have been at the $295 dues level already. This overall reduction simplifies the renewal process for members and administrative staff.
In an effort to encourage members to utilize the easy, one-click online dues renewal, the board has also approved a $25 manual payment processing fee. This fee will apply only to annual dues payments that are made by check or faxed in credit card information. If members pay their dues with the online link that is provided in the email billing of annual dues, then there is no handling fee required. The system accepts all major credit cards: VISA, MasterCard, and American Express.
With a very small association staff and a one-person accounting department, the board sees the value of members utilizing the dues link to simply pay by credit card. It’s easier than shopping online, since all you do is click and pay. The link for payment is provided to the members via the Dues Invoice email. No sign-in or passwords are required.
Members will still have the option to pay via check; however, the extra staff time in processing manual checks will be covered by this $25 manual payment processing fee. The $25 fee must be included with manual payments in order for dues payment to be processed.
Dues notices will be emailed to members in early April 2017 and are due on June 1, 2017. A hardcopy letter with the exact email address being used for each member’s Dues Invoice will be mailed in late March. Please watch for both the hardcopy letter and the emailed Dues Invoice.
Pat Dahlson Elected to CalFlowers Board of Directors
 We are pleased to announce that at the board’s March meeting, Pat Dahlson, CEO of Mayesh Wholesale Florist with headquarters in Los Angeles, CA was elected to the CalFlowers governing board.
Pat brings a wealth of floral industry experience to the CalFlowers board, not only from his success at the helm of Mayesh Wholesale Florist, but also from his previous leadership positions with the Wholesale Florists & Florists Suppliers Association (WF&FSA) and the Society of American Florists (SAF).
“We are thrilled that Pat is joining our board and looking forward to his contributions to continue to bring value to all CalFlowers members," says Mike Mooney, President of the CalFlowers Board of Directors.
CalFlowers to Study the Impact of Marijuana Legalization on California Floral Industry
The CalFlowers Board has commissioned the University of California Agricultural Issues Center (AIC) to study the impact of the marijuana legalization, adopted by the voters in November 2016, on the many dimensions of the California floral industry. "One of the most useful aspects of this study will be the development of a rigorous economic model of California’s floral industry," said Michael LoBue, CalFlowers CEO. Daniel Sumner, AIC director said: “We look forward to working with the industry to study its economic contributions and prospects, and how those economic relationships may be influenced by the changing legal environment for marijuana in California.”
The results of this study will be presented for the first time at this year’s Fun ’N Sun on August 12, 2017, the Saturday morning seminar day. In addition to the study’s principal investigator, Professor Daniel Sumner, presenting the study’s findings, we anticipate having a panel of industry representatives discussing their experiences with this new legislation. Is it a threat or an opportunity?
CalFlowers is pleased to be sponsoring this important project again in 2017. Board member Ben Dobbe (Holland America Flowers) and his wife Jen will be representing the Association at Arlington National Cemetery this year, helping to distribute and place over 100,000 stems on headstones and handing out bouquets to volunteers. This project demonstrates the power of flowers to show honor and respect for our veterans and their families on this important day of rememberance.
 This year also marks the expansion of this important program by increasing the number of national cemeteries participating in this day of rememberance. Sponsorships are still being confirmed, but this year the number of national cemeteries participating is expected to be between 12 and 18. CalFlowers sponsorship will support the promotion and purchase of flowers at the following national cemeteries: Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington, VA), Fort Snelling National Cemetery (Minneapolis, MN), National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona (Phoenix, AZ), Miramar National Cemetery (San Diego, CA), and San Francisco National Cemetery (Presidio of San Francisco).
To help broaden the support for this initiative, the Memorial Day Flower Foundation website now makes it easy for individuals and corporate sponsors to volunteer and donate to any of the National Cemeteries involved in this tribute in 2017.
New COO / General Manager of San Francisco Flower Mart LLC
 Vance Yoshida, President of the California Flower Mart LLC, is pleased to announce the promotion of Jeanne Boes to General Manager and Chief Operations Officer of the San Francisco Flower Mart LLC. Jeanne is the first female General Manager of the SFFM. Boes previously held the position of Director of Communications with SFFM.
“Jeanne’s knowledge and contributions have been invaluable during the recent transitions at the SFFM. She is a passionate leader and innovative thinker that the market will need as it builds a new flower market that will thrive into the future,” says Yoshida.
Boes joined the SF Flower Mart team in 2009. She played a pivotal role during the merger with Kilroy Realty and has worked closely with Kilroy Realty on the design of a new flower market at its current location.
Featured New Member of the Month
Succulent Gardens, LLC
Succulent Gardens, LLC is a boutique nursery dedicated to the growing of  over 400 varieties of quality succulent plants, both popular and rare. Their wholesale customers include garden centers, landscapers, florists, corporate clients, and creative entrepreneurs. Succulent Gardens is open to the public for retail sales.
The nursery covers over three acres, and their drought-tolerant plants are displayed both in greenhouses and outside. Examples of the plants growing in containers and in the landscape may be viewed throughout the nursery. Sizes range from small 2" containers to large specimens.
 Succulent Gardens, LLC promotes professionalism with succulent plants in a number of ways. Quality growing techniques are used to produce the optimum in color and form for each variety. Proper labeling, including the use of botanical names and data pertinent to successful growing is put on all plants that leave the nursery. Succulent Gardens, LLC supports educational seminars targeted at retailers, landscape professionals, and the public.
Click here to visit their website.
Transportation
- The new GSO door-2-door program is growing! Member participation has been building, and service is proving to be excellent. For our West Coast members who want to sign up for the NEW GSO program or would like more information, please call Chris Johnson directly at (760) 533-5580. Additionally, we ask members not to call GSO directly to enroll, as they are not set up to handle member calls. Please call Chris, as he has a simple process in place that guarantees quick and easy start up.
- As you may have seen, CalFlowers has launched the FedEx International Priority Distribution (IPD) program. This program is tailored to our wholesale/e-commerce members and allows fast 3-day airport-to-door import of product from Colombia and Ecuador. Our program offers excellent rates and a special 2-box minimum. Other special waivers apply, and members just need to contact Chris Johnson at (760) 533-5580 or [email protected] to inquire.
- For those members using our commercial air carriers, we want to remind you that we have a full complement of excellent shipping rates on many of our passenger airlines - carriers such as Air Canada, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, and United. Many of these rates are exclusive to CalFlowers members, and all offer excellent value. For more information, please visit our website at www.cafgs.org or contact Chris Johnson for assistance 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 only.
To access the Members Only site, simply login using the Member Login button in the top-right corner of our website.
Click Here if you don't know or don't remember your username and/or password. This document will help you login.
New Members
In February 2017, we were pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers members:
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