Seeley Summit focused on water
As we’re already seeing in many parts of the United States, the limitless availability of water we’ve become accustomed to can no longer be guaranteed, due to sustained and expanding extreme drought and depletion of both surface and aquifer sources. Further, the cost of water has been greatly subsidized and growers and consumers have never paid the real costs of water (i.e. storage, sourcing, distribution, etc.). As water becomes scarcer, it can no longer be viewed as a commodity, and as costs increase, the user will bear a greater share of the real costs of water.
Sustainable by design customers demand products that benefit environment
Today’s consumers are reading more than instructions — they are looking at the benefits of the product beyond its single use, and are fast becoming interested in what happens after they are done with it. This long-term thinking is what many U.S. companies are incorporating into their product design and corporate culture, and it’s defined as sustainability.
Koehler & Dramm’s Rose Month for Kids helps needy children worldwide
MINNEAPOLIS — Although June is National Rose Month, July is always Rose Month for Kids at Koehler & Dramm Wholesale Florist, here, and the company is committed to donating to charity one rose sale at a time.
In 2007, several people at Koehler & Dramm began thinking about ways the company could give back to the community. At the same time, a rose grower in Ecuador became aware of the severe lack of medical supplies at a local children’s hospital, and that led to a partnership with Koehler & Dramm to take action.
Metro’s Hamel named Pillar of the Industry
The QPMA Pillar of the Industry for 2014, Bernadette Hamel, was welcomed onstage with a thundering standing ovation during the closing banquet at the annual QPMA Convention. A dynamic woman whose commitment to the industry is evident, Hamel made her mark at QPMA by being elected its first female president in 2007-08.
SAF convention affirms truth of old adage
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” — Sir Isaac Newton.
It’s fascinating to me that this manifesto was proclaimed in the 1600s by one of the world’s greatest scientific minds, Sir Isaac Newton, the master of astronomy, chemistry, physics, mathematical science and theology. Quite simply, Sir Isaac Newton discovered how the universe stays together.
AIFD symposium reinforces the importance of floral industry relationships
In a world where instant gratification is not fast enough, we still find large groups of people who understand that the journey is a very important part of the destination. This was certainly the case at the recently held American Institute of Floral Designers Symposium, Transition Transformation, in Chicago.
Record number of visitors expected at Agriflor 2014
A 20 percent increase in pre-registrations for Agriflor, the international flower exhibition in Quito, Ecuador, Oct. 1-4, has organizers very excited. The 135,000-square-foot CEMEXPO Exhibition Center will be filled with flowers, international visitors and over 200 exhibitors, according to a news release from organizer HPP Exhibitions in Amsterdam.
Frank Biddle, owner and managing partner at Tradewinds International in Boulder, CO, told The Produce News that he’s attended Agriflor since 1996.
New trends in sleeves and packaging
The hunt for trends is a roller coaster ride for our design team. Deciphering and categorizing the plethora of available information can be quite a challenge. As we work through it all, we begin to see certain trends emerge and grow and take on a life of their own; the following four stand out, and apply to broad applications, including floral sleeves and packaging.
Poinsettia marketing requires planning and merchandising
Some feel the poinsettia is turning into a common plant with nowhere to go but down in sales and popularity, but is that really where it is heading?
With more than 100 varieties of this incredible plant, along with a clean bill of health on the toxicity claims that once haunted it (although we do not suggest you toss a salad with your holiday poinsettia — it is no longer considered toxic or deadly); the USDA estimates there will be $250 million dollars worth of poinsettia sales in 2014, which makes it the best-selling potted plant in America.
Challenges facing trucking firms affecting floral shipping costs
Transportation continues to be an ever-increasing expense across all segments of the floral industry. Prime Inc., headquartered in Springfield, MO, and one of North America’s busier trucking companies for over 40 years, services the floral supply chain by transporting fresh cut flowers and plants nationwide in temperature-controlled vehicles and considers productivity to be a key issue.