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A message from Laurie Nesbitt,
Florists Supply President
The New Year feels especially new at Florists Supply with some exciting happenings within our Company.
Updated Brand
Our new logo.
After 85 years of our iconic green Maple Leaf logo with an “F” and “S”, we have adopted a new corporate logo and new corporate colours. You might ask “Why after 85 years would we make the change?” The answer is simple – to look modern, relevant, and better reflect that we’re always moving forward. We want our staff, customers, and prospects to look at our imagery and believe we are constantly evolving, and not just resting on past successes.
Being a 24-year-old vet at Florists Supply, it took some coaxing to have me move from the logo I have always known. Truth is our logo had been tweaked a few times in the past 24 years. We used to have the words “The Mark of Quality” below the Maple Leaf, but eventually opted to drop it as it was cumbersome to use in applications such as merchandise embroidery. We also wrapped “Proudly Canadian” around the top of the logo about a decade ago – primarily to point out we were, and continue to be, Canadian owned and operated (at the time our largest competitor in Western Canada sold out to a U.S. publicly traded consolidator). We also slightly adjusted the font we used for “Florists Supply Ltd.”.
Our new logo is the result of several concepts merging to create a unique distinguished mark. The icon combines our company initials (as did our past logo), an abstracted flower (versus a maple leaf) and themes of regeneration and connection.
The icon retains the “FS”, albeit in a lower case, which is a common theme in modern design. The Flower symbol is much more encompassing of the products we sell than a maple leaf. Regeneration symbolizes flower growth, seasons, replenishment, and delivery. Connection symbolizes key relationships with our customers, vendors, growers, dependency between wholesale, and retail. We believe the new Icon evokes a feeling of freshness, movement, and confidence.
We’ve also moved away from our standard corporate green. We did maintain a contemporary green (Pantone 323) and added a pink hue (Pantone 190). While the colour palette is restrained, our desire is to build strong brand recognition through consistent colour application.
We have adopted our new Icon and colours in our 2020 Spring & Everyday Catalogue. and have updated our website. Our shipping boxes, vehicle decals, building signs, etc. will all be updated in 2020. For sustainability purposes, we will not throw out any shipping boxes that could still be used, so you will continue to see the original logo on our boxes in circulation until they’ve worn out.
New Website
Our website refresh does not stop at our new colours and logo, we’ve also updated: content, navigation, and Fresh Flower Gallery functionality. We are excited to introduce our Fresh Flower Gallery as a tool both designers and consumers can use to pinpoint the right flower or greenery to best suit their needs. This is a living and breathing tool that will be constantly updated with new products. Our Gallery is still in the process of being populated as we have hundreds of fresh products to add.
Our Supplies Shop area continues to function as it has on our original website as as it ties into our enterprise software system. Our Supplies Shop offers you real-time inventory and access into your account for such things as re-ordering and reprinting invoices.
New Business Development Team
We have announced our new business development team that will be engaging with our customers in western Canada. Our business development managers will be focused on your overall business and helping find solutions for you in terms of delivery, service, fresh cuts and supply products.
The new team will continue with training in the early part of 2020 and are chomping on the bit ready to meet you and your staff. You can read more about the team in a previous FSLiving Journal entry.
We continue to believe in investing in people to assist our customers.
Anniversaries
I had previously mentioned 85 years, and yes, we are indeed 85 years old! That is an incredible number of years and it humbles me as the current President. Florists Supply has transitioned successfully over the years from one group of owner managers to another.
We also celebrate our 40th year in the city of Saskatoon. In 1980, Florists Supply was approached by florists in Saskatoon to set up a location there. Ten different florists took minority positions in the Saskatoon business when Florists Supply first opened, a pretty special example of wholesale and retail working together. We will relocate to a new building in the summer of 2020 in Saskatoon after spending our first 40 years at 1623 Quebec Avenue.
I am personally celebrating my 25th year at Florists Supply in July. What a lucky guy I was to be presented an opportunity to join Florists Supply at 30 years of age. What immediately struck me was the warmth and openness of the people within the industry at all levels and the energy that permeates year-round as we constantly prepare for the next selling season. So grateful for all the staff, customers and vendors that have helped me learn this industry and that I have built relationships with.
In 2020 we will celebrate our roots and history, but we will also move forward with new initiatives. I believe that is what has made Florists Supply successful for 85 years – the pride our staff take at delivering excellent customer service and remembering the importance of our relationships while also adapting and supporting new initiatives and strategies in the face of changing industry forces.
Happy New Year and a sincere wish for a prosperous year both in your personal and professional lives!