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Heavy Flooding Hurting Thailand's Orchid Production By Katie Hendrick
Thailand, in particular, has been inundated with rain since early October, which has created numerous obstacles for the country's orchid industry, said Tom Vail, general manager of Amy's Orchids. "Some farms are flooded, making harvest impossible and, in some cases, destroying the orchid plants," he said. Additionally, rains have spurred logistical nightmares: flooded roads have made deliveries a major burden, and several packing houses have had to shut down or move to temporary locations. Thailand, the world's largest producer of dendrobium orchids, exports an average of two million stems per day, Vail said.
It is too soon to determine the extent of devastation for Thailand's orchid industry, Vail said, "but damaged flowers will take more than one year to replace." Amy's Orchids has been spared major physical damage, thanks to engineering geared to protect against flooding. Built on six feet of fill, the company's packing building stands one foot above road level. There is also a four-foot dike around the farm. "Our biggest problems are that some roads are closed, causing additional traffic on the road we use to deliver our flowers to the airport, turning a three-hour trip into a six-hour trip," Vail said. Additionally, some of Amy's Orchids' vendors have had to close due to flooding, which has caused some difficulties in sourcing certain materials. Share
Duty Refund Process Released by Customs By Drew Gruenburg Refunds of duties collected while the Andean Trade Preference and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) was not in force earlier this year are now accessible through an application process administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP). That process is outlined in an official memorandum sent to field operations directors, port directors, importers, brokers and other interested parties. On Oct. 21, 2011, President Obama signed into law the U.S./Colombia Free Trade Agreement as well as an extension of the ATPDEA retroactive to Feb. 12, 2011, when the ATPDEA lapsed. Benefits under the ATPDEA, including duty-free status for flowers coming into the U.S. from Colombia and Ecuador, will start on Nov. 5, 15 days after the legislation was signed by the president. Refunds are available to importers of record who paid duties from Feb. 13 through Nov. 4, 2011. General questions regarding the refund steps should be directed to Katrina Chang, Chief, Trade Agreements Branch, or Christina Alvez, Trade Agreements Branch, at FTA@dhs.gov. Details about processing claims should be directed to Laurie Dempsey, Chief, Entry Summary and Drawback Branch at (202) 863-6509. Share
Prosser Picked for Event Honoring First Lady By Christy O'Farrell
Botanica International Design Studio happily endured the compressed timeframe and security surrounding the event, knowing their work was destined for a gathering honoring Michelle Obama. The designers at the Tampa, Fla., company hustled to create designs for the Oct. 27 fundraising tea, said Zoë Prosser Gallina, account and marketing coordinator. About 100 people attended the $5,000-per-ticket tea at a private residence on Davis Island, Fla. Botanica was prohibited from taking photos from the event, but Gallina said the design team chose deep purple, blue and white flowers — iris, hydrangeas, roses, tulips, delphinium and amaryllis — to go with navy blue linens selected to match the color in the American flag. The arrangements, a large but not "over the top" order, adorned cocktail tables and accented furniture, she said. "It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to provide flowers for a luncheon honoring the first lady," said Botanica owner Ian Prosser, AAF, AIFD, PFCI. "It was an understated, yet sophisticated luncheon, a perfect representation of the first lady herself." No stranger to working on events for first families, Prosser chaired SAF's design team for the second inauguration of President George W. Bush in 2005, and he also was among those who designed for a Clinton inauguration. Share
Two-Party Duo Faces Off at CAD By Shelley Estersohn
"Hearing from speakers with inside knowledge of Washington politics is a highlight of Congressional Action Days," said SAF Government Relations Chair David Mitchell, AAF, owner of Mitchell's Flowers in Orland Park, Ill. "The presidential campaigns will just be heating up in March, and I think the Brazile/Perino conversation should be a perfect opening as our lobbying effort gets underway." Brazile worked on every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000, when she served as campaign manager for former Vice President Al Gore. Today she is vice chair of voter registration and participation for the Democratic National Committee. As White House press secretary from 2007 through 2009, Perino was one of the most highly regarded members of President Bush's senior staff. She is now a Fox News contributor and co-host of The Five, the channel's daily political news program. The 32nd Annual SAF Congressional Action Days takes place March 19-20 in Washington, D.C. Watch for details soon at congressionalactiondays.com.  Share
Consumer Spending in US Increased 0.6 Percent in September Bloomberg Businessweek Consumer spending in the U.S. accelerated in September, helping the world's largest economy skirt a recession. Purchases increased 0.6 percent, matching the median estimate of 81 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, after a 0.2 percent gain the prior month, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. Incomes rose less than projected, sending the savings rate down to the lowest level in almost four years. Read more. Share
Three Cheers for a Successful Open House Holiday open house season is officially in full swing, and the November issue of Floral Management features ideas from florists on everything from food and beverage to music (check it out in the Hands On column, p. 14). And if you're wondering just how many extra staff to add to your holiday team, find out what floral industry financial consultant Paul Goodman, CPA, PFCI, has to say about the topic, in "Holiday Help!"(p. 36). If you can't wait for your print copy to arrive, find these stories and more in the digital edition. Share
7 Tips for Successful Holiday Marketing Campaigns Entrepreneur It's no longer a question of either/or. Savvy entrepreneurs know that both email and social media are important parts of a successful marketing strategy. Using the right tools to get the right message to the right audience is critical over the holidays, when businesses and organizations are pulling out all the stops to capture consumers' attention and dollars. Read more. Share
Need Friendly, Free Business Advice? She's Got Groups for That By Shelley Estersohn 
Ohio florist Heather Waits has been registered on MySAF for exactly two weeks and four days. So far, she's connected with 25 SAF members around the country, joined six groups and started one (Marketing Edge — which already has 36 members). She's opened up discussions on business-to-business marketing,
Christmas/holiday promotions, gift containers and how to coddle her wedding clients. Her status updates include tips for fellow florists like "Checking out flower shop websites across the country...Mandy's HotHouse has a cool site"
In between running Bloomtastic Florist in Upper Arlington with husband Jason, and adoring their two-month-old twin daughters, Waits works SAF's new online network hard. "I love the groups feature,” she said. "It's a great way to get advice and share ideas with other flower shop owners and floriculture professionals. It's like having my very own advisory board or business coach but without the cost." The next step, she said, is to build the community base. "I've been waiting for a (forum) like this from SAF for a long time. Now we just need to get more people using it." To see what Waits is talking about and start building your own online network, login to safnow.org and click the "Groups" link on your MySAF Home Page. Share
How to Start New Hires on the Right Track Entrepreneur Assessing employees starts on Day One. Your hiring process shouldn't be complete until you have a fully-oriented employee with their own development plan – a clear plan of action that will engage and hold your new hire accountable. Because the sooner you set expectations for your employees, the more likely you are to have a productive team that supports and grows your business. And that isn't the only benefit. Read more. Share
Free Wedding Flower Photos on Flickr By Shelley Estersohn 
Whipping up a wedding package proposal and want some images to
spice it up? Need a photo quickly for a newspaper ad? If you're tired of searching generic online photo galleries (and paying a lot for the privilege of using their images), check out SAF's Flower Factor Wedding Flowers photo gallery on Flicker. You'll find nearly 150 photos of wedding arrangements, from bouquets and boutonnieres to room and table décor. The original photos used for SAF's
stunning wedding posters, postcards and statement stuffers are there along with many others provided by members.
When using a photo provided by a member, you must include the photo credit information. Also, let us know if you have an image that should be added to the album. Email high-resolution (at least 300 dpi at 4X6), high quality floral photography to SAF's Jenny Scala at jscala@safnow.org. Share
On the Horizon SuperSalesSkills Webinars: Christmas Boot Camp: Prep Now for a More Profitable Holiday Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 Hire, Train and Motivate Better! Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 Valentine Boot Camp 2012 Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012 SAF Pest and Production Management Conference Feb. 15-18, 2012 Rosen Plaza Hotel Orlando, Fla.  32nd Annual Congressional Action Days March 19-20, 2012 Crystal Gateway Marriott Arlington, Va.
Get 100 Stunning, Shop-Local Postcards — for just 7.95! By Shelley Estersohn 
Interest in the shop-local movement is growing. Consumers are increasingly aware of the value of supporting the small independent businesses within their local communities. Capitalize on the trend by sending out SAF's stunning "Shop Locally. Live Colorfully." postcards with a discount offer on holiday gifts and décor.
The back of the postcard reads: Live life out loud! Whether for a gift or yourself, our floral designs are close to home, yet far from ordinary. Contact us for a bright burst of local color. Just add your shop information and promotional info, stick on a stamp and drop them in the mail. You can't beat the value. SAF members pay only $7.95 for a pack of 100 cards — a 50 percent savings over the non-member price! If you hurry, you can get them in time to mail before Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26 (see "Small is the New Big" in the October issue of Floral Management). Placing your online order is a snap at the new SAF Store. You can also e-mail SAF Member Services at memberinfo@safnow.org, or call (800) 336-4743. Share
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