Wet, Powerless and Relieved, La. Florists Close, but Don't Collapse, for Gustav
The lights are still out, nobody's home and the cash register is slammed shut — but most florists in Louisiana know the frustrations of power outages and evacuations caused by Hurricane Gustav are not on par with the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina three years ago.
On Wednesday afternoon, managers had not yet made their way back into Greenleaf Wholesale's New Orleans location, which had been evacuated due to the storm. Scott Kitayama, president of Greenleaf, says he expects employees to return and the business to open "hopefully" by the end of the week.
A planned airport hub at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., and a new cargo handling facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston won't replace Miami as the main entry for flowers coming into the country from South America, say veteran wholesalers.
The founder of Good Neighbor Day died last week at the age of 60, just days before florists across the country once again celebrated the annual flower giveaway he pioneered.
While his company may be called "Uncommon Goods," David Bolotsky's recent online defense of delivery fees covered plenty of common ground for readers of Floral Management and florists everywhere.
3 a.m. text messages and all-night vigils in the driveway of a certain Delaware senator weren't the only late-night activities getting the attention of reporters in the days leading up to the Democratic National Convention.
Don't let the name fool you — wholesalers and retailers can both benefit by attending "How to Get the Most Out of a Wholesaler's Show" on Thursday, Sept. 18 during SAF Palm Beach 2008.
