Kennicott Bros., Vans Floral Products team up
Kennicott Bros., Vans Floral Products team up
Two well-known wholesale floral distributors joined forces as of Oct. 1, according to a Sept. 14 news release. Kennicott Bros. Co. and Vans Floral Products, both headquartered in the Chicago area, will merge operations, with Kennicott acquiring most of the assets of Vans.
The agreement will achieve greater economies of scale throughout their combined distribution areas, according to the news release. The transition process and ongoing operations will be led by Gustavo Gilchrist, who will succeed Gary Doran as president of Kennicott Bros. Mr. Doran will remain active with the company as a special consultant in his retirement. Mr. Gilchrist had been vice president of international and corporate development at Kennicott.
Jack and John Van Namen of Vans Floral Products will fill key executive roles. Jack Van Namen is president and chief executive officer of Vans and John Van Namen is vice president. “This dynamic combination will leverage the strengths of each organization to better serve all of our customers,” stated Harrison (Red) Kennicott, chief executive officer of Kennicott Bros.
Kennicott Bros. has served Midwest retailers for more than 130 years from seven locations in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.
Vans Floral Products was established in 1960 when its founder, Jacob Van Namen, in a one-man operation, wheeled fresh-cut flowers to market in a pushcart. Today, it operates eight locations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Atlanta.
“For many years, Vans and Kennicott have been friendly competitors with similar values and have worked together on behalf of the industry through our affiliations with AFE, SAF and WF&FSA,” said Jack Van Namen.
