As the new floral marketing editor and sales manager, it is a pleasure to greet you. I was very flattered when Cindy Long recommended me for this job and very happy when it was offered to me.

Cindy took the kernel of an idea for this section and presented it to The Produce News; they liked the idea and Floral Marketing was born.

Under Cindy, Floral Marketing developed into a section that is worthy of being read.

I shall do my very best to follow Cindy?s lead and bring you timely news and articles that will inform, help your business and hopefully inspire you.

I would like to thank the contributing writers who share their special expertise with you. They come from a variety of specialty fields and round out Floral Marketing?s goal of presenting you with a wide range of information from qualified people.

April?s focus is on supermarkets and their relationships with wholesale florists.

In this week?s section, you will read how Rose Clemens, floral director of Clemens Markets, works with her wholesaler. Jim Wanko, executive director of the Wholesale Florists & Florist Supply Association has written about what wholesalers can offer supermarkets. Gay Smith gives a great overview of supermarkets and wholesalers working together.

I have known some of you for quite a long time. For those of you who do not know me, my background is mostly in sales and marketing in the exhibition area. In this capacity I worked for Folio magazine, "the magazine for magazine management," and then for a company producing trade shows for U.S. and international companies wanting to sell food and food-related products to the Russian market.

Here I will digress to say that Russians love flowers. A simple visit between friends or family is accompanied by flowers or just a single flower. Imagine the power of a single flower. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the streets are lined with flower vendors. Flowers are part of the Russian people?s lifestyle; something we need to cultivate here (no pun intended).

After the fall of the ruble, Russia lost its middle class, the driving force in any economy, and the shows there closed.

That is when I entered the floral industry, working on floral shows, including the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supply Association?s annual trade show and organizing private presentations around the country at wholesale houses for the Sanremo Flower Market in Sanremo, Italy.

This is a beautiful industry and I am delighted to be a part of it.

It is also an industry in a state of constant change. Companies need to be fluid to keep up with the changes and opportunities in this industry, and Floral Marketing plans to keep you abreast of all that is going on.

Please contact me with your story ideas, your news, your questions and suggestions. I want to be responsive to your needs.

The root word of the definition of "success? simply means "to follow through." I hope to follow through with you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

(Readers can contact Mary Crawford at [email protected].)