One World Flowers Featured in ‘The Produce News’ Publication

One World Flowers — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:08:19 +0000

The following article was featured in the Floral Marketing section of The Produce News, June 2010. Click here to view the original article.

BY JOHN S. NIBLOCK

Alaina Paradise is happy to go from zero to 90. That’s the number of customers her One World Flowers import and distributing company has attracted with its Fair Trade offerings in its first two years. The economic skies were cloudy when Ms. Paradise began operations in May 2008, but as she put it, “we could only go up.” Not only were times hard, but she was beginning a new company with a premium product yet to find a reliable niche in retail markets.

One World Flowers is a licensed importer of Fair Trade flowers from Ecuador and Colombia. The company sells them nationwide to supermarkets, co-op grocers, and retail florists who have customers looking for more than just green options in the floral department. “More consumers are becoming aware of the human rights issues surrounding the products they buy,” said Ms. Paradise, “and they’re learning to look for labels that take care of people as well as the environment.”

The Fair Trade label is what Ms. Paradise calls a “complete sustainability” label. It guarantees not only environmental protection, but also human rights standards. Components include controls on pesticide use, safe working conditions, and fair wages for workers. “A big part of the Fair Trade program is direct and long-term relationships between the farms and importers,” Ms. Paradise stated in a phone interview. “We work together in marketing initiatives, sales efforts and in daily operations.”

In addition to the fair wages and benefits that are paid to workers, One World Flowers pays an additional 10 percent of the purchase price into a separate fund managed by workers, who vote on how the money will be used to improve their communities. “So far our farms have built an on-site daycare center, paid for lots of scholarships for workers and their children, and started a micro-loan program,” she said.

Awareness of the benefits of Fair Trade has grown, and One World Flowers sales have grown with it. It offers retail customers a way to compete on the basis of sustainability by offering customers products that match their values. “I am a Christian and Fair Trade is my way of taking my values to the marketplace,” Ms. Paradise elaborated. “Every human being does the same thing in their own way. Those who value money will look for a good deal. Those who value fashion will buy the best brands. Those who value human rights and well-rounded sustainability will buy Fair Trade. An increasing number of customers are demanding well rounded sustainability and we sell flowers that achieve that.”

Many of her competitors have found Fair Trade to be a much harder sell than their regular green products, she said. There are limited Fair Trade varieties, the cost is higher and there is a lot of reporting involved to stay compliant. “We remain committed to making the program work,” she said. “As a result, our margins are much lower than those of the average floral importer. That’s so our Fair Trade flowers can be available to as many people as possible.” To help its retail customers communicate the benefits of Fair Trade, One World Flowers offers free point-of-sale posters and signage, customized tags for flowers, and staff materials like “Ask Me About Fair Trade” buttons and training sheets with answers to frequently asked questions. The company also provides press releases, and photos for use in newsletters or on retail web sites.

Fleurish Florists Launch Philadelphia’s First Fair Trade Floral Design Studio

One World Flowers — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:45:13 +0000

One World Flowers is pleased to announce the opening of the Fleurish Florist floral design studio in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, specializing in sustainable floral design and “green” weddings. Fleurish Florist will be the first florist in Philadelphia to use Fair Trade Certified flowers, which will be supplied by One World Flowers. The company is a wholly woman-owned business founded by two sisters, Jane Cespuglio, owner and design director, and Susan Cespuglio-Bigler, owner and business manager. Fleurish Florists’ mission is to make the decision of going green a simple choice for clients hosting fair trade, eco-friendly events or fundraisers. Cespuglio commented, “As an architect, I have developed an in-depth awareness of issues of sustainability.”

Sustainable Design Principals

Fleurish Florists‘ design principles are based on the belief that customers do not need to sacrifice creativity, drama or excitement in exchange for choosing sustainable floral arrangements for weddings, events or corporate needs. Fleurish Florists employs eco-friendly techniques, ranging from the company’s choice of flowers and floral supplies, to its business structure and marketing strategy. Said Cespuglio, “I started Fleurish because I wanted to have a job that was a more hands-on approach to design, while having an outlet of self-expression that was both useful and ethical.” To this end, Fleurish Florists purchases only certified Fair Trade Certified, USDA organic, VeriFlora and local flowers to offset the impact the cut-floral industry has on the environment and people in third-world countries. Cespuglio-Bigler commented, “First and foremost, we feel it is the right thing to do to reduce our environmental impact and support a healthier and safer flower industry, but we also believe it makes good business sense.” In addition, Fleurish Florists never uses floral foam, which can be very harmful to the environment, and uses recycled-glass vases and ceramic containers created by local Philadelphia artists.

Wild Crafting – A Local Touch

The company also uses a technique called wild-crafting to create stunning visual floral arrangements for green weddings and other events. Wild-crafting is a design technique that relies on natural resources form the local Philadelphia area including branches, herbs, wildflowers, fruits and vegetables to create arrangements. Cespuglio added, “As a small firm focusing on eco-friendly events and corporate and hospitality accounts, we can buy exactly what our customers need, cutting down on the waste and the industry practice of over-ordering.”

Environmental Commitment

Fleurish Florists composts all of its organic waste, recycles office materials and prints on 100 percent recycled paper with soy-based inks–with the goal of becoming a paperless business in the future. Said Cespuglio-Bigler, “This strategy will prove to be a more cost effective way to operate our business in the long-run. We’ll save money on paper costs by using e-mail and the Internet, as well as on energy costs by using more efficient coolers and equipment.”

About Fleurish Florists

As a young design intern, Cespuglio spent nine years pursuing the art of floral design–starting out sweeping floors and cutting flowers, later developing into a talented designer with a Washington D.C. florist that specialized in Capital Hill events. Eventually she went on to become an award-winning registered architect with a Masters of Architecture from the Architectural Association in London.

With a keen business sense, 13-years experience in accounting and project management, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Susan Cespuglio-Bigler comes to Fleurish Florists with unique insight into the business of floral design. Her work experience with both small- and large-scale clients allows Cespuglio-Bigler to accommodate a full spectrum of needs, from one-on-one client relationships to the largest of wholesalers.

Fleurish Florists does business by appointment only at locations convenient to their clients. To make an appointment, e-mail info@fleurishflorist.com, call (215) 438-3841 or visit www.fleurishflorist.com.

One World Flowers Blog » fair trade events

One World Flowers Featured in ‘The Produce News’ Publication

Fleurish Florists Launch Philadelphia’s First Fair Trade Floral Design Studio