FloralNEWS No. 1, 2012A Selecta Cut Flowers Publication

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On The Cover:

Don Pedro, tried-and-true standard carnation.Read more on p. 14.

This quote comes from a soccer coach named Sepp Herberger. He became a legend in Germany after unexpectedly winning the World Cup in 1954 in a nerve-wracking final against Hungarian team that had not been beaten in four years. What does it mean?

That sports teams coaches want their teams to believe that the work that they put into practice and on the field will pay off over the long run. Once a game is completed, there is no point dwelling on it win or lose. It is time to begin preparing for the next game. If you feel you have made a mistake, dont give up! Herbergers team lost 8:3 to Hungary in the 1954 playoffs. Hence, take a setback as an opportunity to learn and to be better prepared for not making the same mistake twice. Your customer will notice if you take Herbergers advice serious or not.

Herberger could not have done it himself. He needed a team, which did not only include the players. Adi Dassler, the founder of Adidas and congenial partner of Herberger in the 54 World Cup, created the first soccer boots with exchangeable studs, which was very helpful in a final where it started to rain. If you want to grow your business, you need a team of reliable products, people, and partners, so you will feel confident with them all the time.

We invite you to leaf through the first issue of Selectas Floral News. If you should have comments for us on how we can become an even better member of your team, please let us know, because: after the game is before the game!

Sincerely yours,

Nils Klemm

+49 (0)162 234 3987 n.klemm@selectaklemm.de

After the Game is Before the Game

Happy New Year!

Table of Contents

Scan the QR code with your mobile device to get directly connected to our new homepage.

We wish you a great start into the New Year. Sincerely,Your Selecta Team

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL

Selecta Cut Flowers S. A.U.Phone: +34 93 750 66 56info@selectacutflowers.com

mailto:n.klemm@selectaklemm.dehttp://www.selectacutflowers.comwww.SelectaCutFlowers.comwww.SelectaCutFlowers.commailto:info@selectacutflowers.com

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Wholesale Florist we see our share of energized and successful florists thriving in todays environment, and we can identify some common threads. Success-ful florists today are actively engaged in their com-munity, investing in their brand, networking, build-ing their business. They are relentless in developing deep relationships with clients -- communicating actively in traditional ways and, increasingly, using web-enabled social media. They strive to know their customers and understand how to connect with them. They find simple but compelling ways to say thank you, to nurture relationships, and to keep cus-tomers coming back.Savvy florists understand which customers recog-nize value and are willing to pay for it. They are con-sistent in targeting and appealing to that customer. They develop tasteful and high-quality images and marketing materials befitting of the tasteful and high-quality products they create. These florists consciously use flowers that are unique, often more difficult to find, and unlike those sold at an average flower shop. With better flowers and sharper mar-keting, the successful florist is aggressive in courting new and existing customers. They certainly do not waste time and simply wait for their phone to ring.

Q: More and more floricultural products are sold in supermarkets. According to SAF, supermarkets and other mass-market floral outlets capture more than 7 billion (38 percent) of the 19 billion floriculture market. What should retail florists do to ensure that their business thrives?A: Usually, the successful florist does not see the su-permarket or the internet mass marketer as a com-petitor. They generate value through creativity and the ability to make an artistic statement using flow-ers. Our most successful customers do not create products that can be replicated by mass retailers. Their product is unique. And they certainly do not hesitate to let their customers know that their prod-uct is unique. They find innovative ways to get that message out in their community --- with businesses, consumers, or whoever represents their targeted niche. Finally, successful florists provide impeccable

service. Weddings and events, for example, demand absolute high levels of execution. Florists who are compulsive on details and willing to go the extra mile for their customer, build word-of-mouth brand value. Customers talk about their experiences with friends, family, and colleagues. Great florists deliver great service and are ultimately recognized for it.

Q: How do you see your future, as a supplier for the retail florists, in this changing industry?

A: As one of Americas leading suppliers of fresh cut flowers to retail florists, Mayesh sees plenty of suc-cessful, energized businesses out there. These busi-nesses are not deterred by a tough industry environ-ment. They know that a positive, proactive approach to the marketplace, along with some basic business smarts, can yield great results. As I previously stated, todays successful floral professionals are fully en-gaged with their business, their customers, and their community. And despite the challenges that many in the industry perceive, these florists are quietly building brands and businesses with sustainable value. With customers like that, Mayesh is bullish on our future. SCF

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Q: There are different lifestyle and economic trends that affect the floriculture industry. Which of them has the biggest impact on the retail flo-rist business?A: It is not surprising that many retail florists feel be-leaguered in todays competitive environment. The debt-fueled consumer spending binge of the 1990s and 2000s ended with a thud. Internet order gather-ers have become dominant in the lucrative origina-tion segment of floral orders. Supermarkets contin-ue their relentless drive to market flowers, leveraging scale economies and millions of customer relation-ships to dominate the cash and carry business. The number of retail florists in the U.S. has been halved in the past 15 years.

Q: So where does the retail florist look for its fu-ture?A: There is no silver bullet, of course. But at Mayesh

Q & A with Ben Powell

By Sabina Reiner

FOR MORe: www.mayesh.com

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INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

(...) todays successful floral professionals are fully engaged with their business, their customers, and their community.

Mayesh Wholesale Florist Managing Director discusses new trends in the floral industry.

Mayesh Wholesale Florist is the preeminent wedding and event supplier in the United States. Founded in 1938 by Jack Mayesh, the Dahlson family acquired the business in 1978. Mayesh has remained family-owned and operated ever since. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Mayesh sup-plies a large variety of fresh floral products sourced from premier growers around the world. The company has de-veloped world-class expertise in sourcing, logistics, and fulfillment. Mayesh operates 15 branches in 7 states, has an interna-tional shipping department, and offers online shopping. In addition, the company has an ownership stake in a cargo agency and handling facility in Quito, Ecuador.

www.SelectaCutFlowers.comwww.SelectaCutFlowers.com

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Whats hot for 2012?

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By Sabina Reiner

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PERSPECTIVE

Pantones 2012 color of the year, Tangerine Tango. Selectas varieties: Hermes Orange (top right) and Marinilla (bottom right) fits perfectly.

At the end of every year you can find in magazines or on-line statistics for past years, fore-casts and trends for the upcoming year. As a part of my job, I did some research and quickly found out that it is impossible to find one source for trends. Its because each continent and each country and region has its own quirks, preferences, and possibilities. I asked some pro-fessionals from the industry whats hot for 2012. Here are some interesting trends on the horizon for the floriculture industry.

Succulent ObsessionAccording to evelyn Alemanni (writer, florist, artist, and a member of the board of directors of America in Bloom), florists started to incorporate succulents into high-end, stylish flower arrangements. The suc-culent craze started several years ago continues to grow, as more varieties are introduced and consum-ers are seduced by low maintenance and water re-quirements, said Alemanni. Yvonne Ashton, Marketing Manager at Mayesh Wholesale Florist, sees succulents also as the hottest flowers for 2012. She says: Succulents are so great for everyday designs, not only because of their unique shapes, sizes, textures, and colors but also because they can be used in so many different ways and they last a long time all these characteristics add value to any floral creation. Along the same path of using different or novelty products, Mayesh is providing all types of pods, dusty miller, silver brunia, fernshoots, and lady slipper orchids. In addition to those fresh cut flowers, Mayesh is seeing china mums making a comeback used en masse.

How About Colors?Popular colors tend to follow the season. For exam-ple, purple is the big color during the fall season; red, white, and silver are important during the winter

months. Ashton (Mayesh Wholesale Florist) said that they are still seeing mono-chromat