From his company's elegant brownstone on Manhattan's Upper Westside, he spoke to the Flower Council about designing with Dutch flowers for the Oscars, Dutch business integrity and the benefits of participating in the recent "Holland Trip tour of the Dutch flower industry for US event and floral professionals. "When I started my company 30 years ago, we were one of first companies to pretty much exclusively use Dutch flowers. And we continue to do so today: we order 80 to 90% of our flowers - accounting for hundreds of thousands of dollars a year - from Holland. In fact, our company will be designing the floral arrangements for the upcoming Oscars ceremony, and although no Dutch films are nominated this year, there certainly will be plenty of Dutch flowers in our Oscar arrangements!"
Customer first
"Whether you're running a small retail shop or, like us, handling a large corporate and celebrity clientele, the approach should always be customer first! If our customers leave the design up to us, our house-style tends toward the European, English Garden style, but each event and each client's wishes are unique. Our approach is always: We work for the client. If a client wants us to hang the flowers upside down, we'll do it! It's all about customer satisfaction. Satisfy your client the first time, and they'll come back to you the next time!"
Dutch variety
"The Dutch flower industry is a testimony to what the Dutch have done and continue to do with flowers. By continuously investing in modern technology, the Dutch are able to consistently produce amazing varieties of flowers. And while some isolated varieties from other countries now give the Dutch a run for their money, it's the amounts and varieties the Dutch produce on a daily, weekly, monthly…basis that really sets Dutch flowers apart from the rest. No other country can touch the Dutch in terms of quality variety."
New varieties
"For floral designers and event planners, having new flower varieties to build arrangements around is crucial. It's about showing clients something new. Buying high-grade flowers is also key. Many people shop around on price, without respecting the difference in flower quality. But of course there's a huge difference between super-grade and low-grade Freesias, for instance. Using super-grade flowers makes a totally different statement in the arrangement. We have the highest average price per arrangement in the country and don't use fillers, so super-grade Dutch flowers really help to make our arrangements substantial."
Cutting-edge
"Although our creative director and five very talented designers generate plenty of great new ideas, it's vital for our business to keep abreast of changing styles and color palettes - in essence, to stay on cutting edge of design, all design. And we do this by monitoring industries other than our own. For instance, one of designers is attending the New York City Fashion Show this week, to see what colors and styles are in vogue this season and how they may influence our new floral designs."
Dutch integrity
"After three decades of buying flowers from Holland, what I appreciate most is Dutch integrity. Flowers are perishable products, so naturally problems sometimes arise. But if I have a problem, my Dutch suppliers always reply, 'No problem!' Their professional integrity demands that they solve the problem. The Dutch understand that business is about building long-term relationships. No sensible person looks to build a business on one deal. Long-term thinking, long-term relationships, integrity first…this is what I've always admired in the Dutch and what I've carried over into my own business. Trusted partners. 'No problem!' "
Holland trip
"The 'Holland Trip' was wonderful. I returned home with some great new ideas for packaging and also found new suppliers at the Aalsmeer Auction and Horti Fair. The trip's highlight though was visiting Marcel Wolterinck's extraordinarily designed home, which inspired me to come back and completely redo our building! Marcel's attention to design detail everywhere, even in elements having nothing to do with flowers, really impressed. Entering his design 'space', the message was clear: We are in the design business! We also want to make that strong design statement, so when our clients visit us they have a total design experience!"
