After 17 years in the floral business, I will be retiring from Price Chopper Supermarkets Aug. 1. Here is a brief reflection on my career in floral.

I began in sales and marketing at a traditional regional wholesaler. In nearly every industry, the wholesale segment is getting squeezed out or eliminated, and floral is no exception. I would say the biggest learning I gained in wholesale floral was about the conventional florist. If you look at the absolute number of florists, there has been a precipitous decline over the past two decades.

The lease agreement for a $2 million perishables center at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago was approved by the city council there in a unanimous voice vote on June 26, two days after approval by the council’s committee on aviation. The ordinance calls for city officials to execute the lease within 30 days, according to Karen E. Pride, director of media relations for the Chicago Department of Aviation.

The farm-grown Christmas tree industry in this country is a billion-dollar industry that sold 24.5 million trees last year, and 2013 should see an increase, according to Rick Dungey, public relations director of the National Christmas Tree Association in Chesterfield, MO.

SANTA BARBARA, CA — Expanded grower tours, more education sessions, a golf tournament on a championship course, awards, a floral fashion show with wearable floral craftsmanship, a flower fair with 42 exhibitors, convention grounds decorated by a team of seven floral designers — all were on hand, along with a record crowd of more than 400 for the NORCAL Sun ‘N Fun Weekend here July 17-20.

It’s show time. NORCAL held its biennial Fun ‘N Sun Weekend earlier this month, and we have a report filed at press time from the show.

Also in this issue are photos from the International Floriculture Expo in Miami Beach, FL, which will move to New Orleans next summer. The Southern California Expo of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council was also held this month in Anaheim, CA.

Beginning the first week of August, Seald Sweet will be importing citrus from Australia into the port of Long Beach, CA. This move adds further growth to the company’s well-established summer citrus programs.