In This Issue ...

1. CalFlowers Scholarship Recipient
2. FedEx SameDay
3. CalFlowers Engaging in Legislative Advocacy in 2019
4. Alaska Airlines
5. FedEx Office
6. Dramm Echter Farms Rebrand
7. Featured New Members
8. Like Us on Facebook
9. Transportation
10. New Members as of August 2019

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

SAF
September 18 - 21, 2019
Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island
Fernandina Beach, FL

ProFlora 2019
October 2 - 4, 2019
Bogota - Columbia

Floral Distribution Conference
November 5 - 7, 2019
Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC)
Miami, FL

Flowers Of The Month

THE ASTER

Asters are mainly symbols of powerful love.  Perhaps because of their positive symbolism, according to folklore they were once burned to ward off serpents.

Asters add a punch of color to the late summer and early fall landscape and require minimal care. 

THE MORNING GLORY

The other September flower is the morning glory.  Morning glories are simple symbols of affections.

Those who rise early may be able to watch their lovely blooms open. Morning glories generally curl closed late in the day.

For Members Only Access

Past CalFlowers Newsletters

Click Here to view past CalFlowers Newsletters. 
Now available on our website.

CalFlowers News

CalFlowers Scholarship Recipient

Helene Dondero (pictured left), a senior attending California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, is the second recipient of the CalFlowers scholarship, awarded every year to an undergraduate student who demonstrates a commitment to working in the floriculture industry.

Having grown up in the floral industry via her family’s business, Fiore Floral and Gifts, Helene is majoring in agricultural science with an emphasis in ornamental horticulture and a minor in agricultural business.  She plans to become an agricultural science teacher and FFA Advisor.

Read more about Helene and her award in this blog post.

FedEx SameDay

If you haven’t yet heard about our newest shipping program for members, meet FedEx SameDay.  This new door-to-door service offers members in qualifying cities same-day delivery for much less than you might expect.  FedEx SameDay provides delivery in 2 hours, 4 hours, end of day, direct, and even route service.  For occasions when flowers must be delivered today, this service can get it done. We have negotiated special pricing for members, and FedEx will even customize their service to meet your needs.  For more details please contact Chris Johnson – [email protected]  - (760) 533-5580.

CalFlowers Engaging in Legislative Advocacy in 2019

We recently reported on CalFlowers’ actions in relation to two proposed bills directly impacting floral markets in California and the nation: CA Assembly Bill 1205 and House Resolution 3019.  Since that time we have actively reached out to 16 members of the California Assembly, 7 members of the California Senate, and 24 members of the Cut Flower Caucus in the House of Representatives.  We then followed up with phone calls and conversations with staff members from six Cut Flower Caucus members, and several Assembly and Senate offices.  We invited and then enjoyed the visits to Fun ‘N Sun of staff members from the offices of Assembly Member Limón, State Senator Jackson and Congressman Carbajal. 

Members’ Role in Legislative Advocacy in 2020

Please watch for a survey of members’ interests in October.  The survey will ask for your input on specific legislative concerns and  broader issues to help us better understand the business concerns of CalFlowers members.  It’s very important that you, our members, complete the survey when it comes out.

We'd like to involve more CalFlowers members on the Industry & Governmental Relations (I&GR) Committee.  If you’re interested in learning more about this committee, feel free to contact Michael LoBue at [email protected]

Read the full blog post about our legislative advocacy here. 

CalFlowers/Alaska Airlines Cargo Discount Program 

Earlier this year, we rolled out our new CalFlowers discount shipping program on Alaska Airlines, and the response has been amazing.  This growing program offers members some of the best shipping discounts offered by the association. Benefits such as highly discounted, PRIORITY rates on nonstop flights in and out of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco to major cities across the Alaska Airlines system are available.  Alaska Airlines’ excellent track record with perishables makes this program an easy fit with our floral products. For more details on this outstanding program, CLICK HERE.  To sign up, please contact Chris Johnson, Director of Transportation at (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].  

Signing Up For FedEx Office Just Got Easier 

You’ll recall that we made the FedEx Office discount program available to members several months ago. Because the signup process took quite a bit of members’ time, we decided to streamline the process by having our new membership coordinator, Ben Dinglasan, help.  

Ben is standing by to sign up any members who have not already made use of the special CalFlowers FedEx Office print discounts. To learn more about our benefits and our membership, contact Ben at (831) 479-4912, option 4 or via email at [email protected].

Dramm Echter Farms Rebrand

Dramm and Echter, a premier California flower farm and international wholesaler, unveiled a new logo and rebranding of  Dramm Echter Farms. The comprehensive rebrand comes after a year of transformation to stay on pace with the ever-evolving floral market and consumer preferences. The rebrand highlights the company's focus on connecting farms of all sizes to the floral marketplace. 

Read the full press release.

Featured New Members

Radebaugh Florist & Greenhouses is located in Towson, Maryland, just north of Baltimore.  They operate not only as a florist but a full scale garden center as well.  The Radebaugh family has owned and operated the business since its inception, and 2019 marks the 95^th anniversary of the company. 

The company has successfully adapted over the years to modernize their facilities as well as the products they carry.  The most recent addition to their product line includes gift crates featuring wine and spirits, among other specialty products.  The ability to offer a diverse assortment of gift options keeps their customers coming back to see what’s new.

The greenhouse operation produces some of the highest quality homegrown annuals and perennials in the region.  They are well known for their red geraniums in the spring and summer and their vast selection of poinsettias during the holiday season.

The Radebaugh family is very active in their local communities and recently completed a project with the Baltimore County government to create more green space in the burgeoning Towson community.  Radebaugh Park is expected to open to the public in the fall of 2019.

Learn more about Radebaugh Florist & Greenhouses.

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PPC International dba House Plant Shop are Californians that grew up caring for and growing houseplants. Their interest in plants started in the wilderness and grew into what is known to be their House Plant Shop.

They knew they weren't the only ones interested in houseplants, so they did some research, and to their surprise, found very little online. All of the online plant stores were either hard to navigate or just for wholesalers. House Plant Shop was curious as to why they couldn't find a reliable or consumer based source for house plants online, so they set out to make an online store superior to the others they found. The solution was www.HousePlantShop.com, a one-stop shop for everything houseplants.

Their greenhouses and website are curated every month. They do this to ensure product cycles, making sure you get the chance to buy every type of plant and are never bored with their website! They choose houseplants based on their care level, because sometimes the thing that we love the most, hurts us the most. And, they provide a risk-free shopping environment with honest pricing. By providing affordable products and money-back guarantees on orders, PPC International wants to be the go-to houseplant shop.

From left to right: Davis Iwata, Preetika Roka, Andy Burde, June He and Tristan Schmitt

Read more about the House Plant Shop.

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Sunflower Farms Distributors, Inc. is a family owned and operated business serving the floral industry since 1969. While their name reflects only one variety, their product line speaks very differently.  The daily live inventory at Sunflower Farms is comprised of over 200 varieties that come from the 100 farms we work with.  Sunflower Farms is one of the leading & most recognizable names in the industry as a premier choice when it comes to providing the best fresh cut flowers.  This is largely because of their experienced sales staff, farm liaisons, and decades of accumulated knowledge.

The secret to their success hinges on their strict set of quality control standards. Most companies just won't invest in the time and money it takes to deliver this type of product along with their level of service & expertise.  Sunflower Farms prides themselves in their detail to quality and customer service, being a one stop shop, and as the experts to all your floral needs.   

Innovation is what drives them, along with gearing towards change in this ever-growing market.  Their goal is to better serve both their customers and suppliers with a team of qualified and motivated individuals who embrace our commitment to professionalism, honesty and integrity.

Sunflower Farms is confident that once you become part of the Sunflower Farms Family you will not be disappointed.

Learn more about Sunflower Farms.

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Transportation  

As a reminder, current shipping rates and program information is up on the CalFlowers website.  Members using their log-ins can access this information anytime.  Rates on FedEx, GSO|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 (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].

We would also like to remind members to stay current with their FedEx Express shipping invoices. FedEx’s 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.

GSO is now a proud part of the GLS Group. The company is excited to combine their decades of experience with GLS's expertise as a top-rated European parcel delivery provider. Over the last year, GSO has become known as GSO | a GLS company, and is in the process of gradually transitioning its website, supplies, vehicles, communications, uniforms, and facilities to the GLS brand. And for those of you based in the Northwest, GSO | a GLS company has introduced GLS branded vehicles, facilities, and driver uniforms.  Click Here to learn more about GLS.

The CalFlowers GSO|GLS program is one of our most value-priced offerings.  GSO|GLS provides door to door services to CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA NM and ID.  Members who want to ship on GSO|GLS must sign up in advance. It’s easy and just takes a few minutes.  Please contact Chris Johnson for more details (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].    

We know that OnTrac got their start in California and service every ZIP code in California, but did you know OnTrac also services eight 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

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 for the month of August 2019:

781 Beach Street, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94109 | www.cafgs.org 

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