MINNEAPOLIS — Koehler & Dramm’s Institute of Floristry, here, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year under the direction of Ardith Beveridge, its director and one of its instructors.

Beveridge told The Produce News that the institute is the only school in the United States that is part of a wholesale florist.

“Being located in a wholesale floral facility allows students to have experience with a much greater variety of flowers and practical experience with the dynamics of the supply chain,” Beveridge said.

We all know that balloons are an easy, low-cost way to increase add-on sales or to add value to existing products in the floral department. The initial start-up costs are relatively low, and the training needed by the floral staff to inflate and maintain balloons is minimal. Still, we often hear from our customers who are not maximizing their efforts and who ask us, “What can my store do to improve balloon sales?”

Following are a few suggestions accumulated over the last 30-plus years.

Great Day Group in Sun Valley, ID, announced in a news release the acquisition of Continental Floral Greens, headquartered in San Antonio, TX, and one of the country’s older and larger suppliers of decorative greenery, flowers and hard goods. With the completion of the acquisition, the current company will make a subtle, but significant name change to Continental Floral LLC.

ANAHEIM, CA — As the promotional arm of the largest worldwide supplier of avocados, Avocados from Mexico faces a challenge of devising programs to move a crop of fruit that eclipses 1 billion pounds annually.

The Society of American Florists announced in a news release a new and informative resource for floral industry professionals.

As the holiday season approaches and floral departments begin hiring seasonal workers, managers can be ready to answer any care and handling questions they may have with the SAF’s Flower & Plant Care: the 21st Century Approach, written by Terril A. Nell and Michael S. Reid. Keeping a copy on hand will allow employees to refer back to it if managers are not available to answer questions.

MINNEAPOLIS — For more than 100 years the Bachman family has been growing flowers here, and for 75 years the Lund family has been operating grocery stores here. A budding floral partnership was launched over four decades ago.