Article Presented by:
Wesley Berry, AAF
When a colossal storm dumped tons of precipitation, felled trees, and flooded roads on December 14th, 2006 in Washington state, many welcomed the rough weather as a time to stay indoors and while away the time playing PS2 or XBox. But, many Washington florists braved the storms to ensure their customers received the flowers they'd ordered and that their precious stock was safe.
Among the biggest concerns for florists was being able to make scheduled deliveries, but still keep their delivery drivers safe. Mark Berglund, president of the wholesale company Washington Floral in Tacoma, Washington said, "We wanted to service people, but keep my drivers safe." To meet both those objectives, the company did cancel its Friday deliveries, but drivers reported to work Saturday in spite of the fact that Berglund's home and many others were still without power.
In fact, as a result of the 90 mile-per-hour wind and approximately three inches of rain, a million homes were without power, freeways were closed, and flights were cancelled. Sadly, six people also lost their lives.
Diane Lagerstedt of Washington Floral said, "Some of the hardest things we had to deal with were just not knowing if customers were open or not. Our first trucks leave between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., so normally at those stores we don't get answers. We just didn't know. Many stores were closed. Once you did get out, there were no traffic lights. That created tremendous gridlock."
Larry and Valeriy Arzumanov, owners of Bellevue Crossroads Florist in Bellevue, Washington worked in the dark through the weekend to complete orders and keep the business running. They lost power on Thursday and it didn't return until Sunday. Although they worked by candlelight and Larry Arzumanov personally made deliveries, they estimate that the storm still cost them between $3,000 and $4,000 in revenue.
Other companies, like Washington Bulb Company in Mount Vernon, Washington were prepared for severe weather. Their generators were ready to go when normal power went out at 2 a.m. on Friday. Although their power loss was short-lived, the company still had some shipping delays due to cancelled flights.
For those lucky individuals whose power remained on, the storm could be seen as a time to get some much-needed rest and relaxation in front of the television with the PS2 or XBox controller in hand. But, for dedicated florists, it was a time to show customers how valuable they are by weathering the storm to get deliveries into their waiting hands.
About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. His shops provide flower delivery worldwide through Flower Delivery Express. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com
