Southern Indiana Business September-October 2020 | Page 26

For Lana and David’s daughter, Laura
Collett, the choice to jump into the family
business was easy. “I just really enjoy it,
because every day is different,” she said.
“It is whatever you want it to be.”
It’s that agile, entrepreneurial attitude
that has helped the florist not only remain
open throughout the COVID-19 outbreak,
but also to find success in ways it hadn’t
previously.
Special occasions like prom and graduation,
for example, that used to be big
on flowers, were slow -- or nonexistent.
Many weddings were postponed. But
other events that weren’t so busy in the
past, like Easter and Mother’s Day, were
suddenly rife with flower deliveries.
And during those busy times, the family
had to find creative ways to both separate
their floral designers and to time their
deliveries so that drivers would arrive
one at a time. “We had tents set up in
the parking lot,” Lana Aebersold said. “I
think we’ve been so blessed not to close.
It would’ve been really hard to start this
back up again.”
What has hurt local florists, however,
are online brokers who act as middlemen,
Collett said. When orders are placed
through national “discount” flower companies,
she said, they take a percentage off
the top before sending the order to a local
shop anyway. At times, Aebersold said
they’ve turned down those types of orders
because they just weren’t offering enough
money, and she suspects that this practice,
combined with coronavirus, has even led
to the demise of some area florists.
Collett’s advice? “If you have to send
flowers, just Google an actual flower
shop” in the area where the flowers will
be delivered, she said.
A Peek Behind the Vines
The front of Aebersold Florist and
Gifts is decorated with flower arrangements,
quilts, lanterns and other gift items
arranged beneath a large, open atrium.
But the real magic happens behind the
counter, where coolers keep the flowers
fresh, designers handcraft bouquets for
customers, and greenhouses are full of
ever-growing plants.
The floral shop sells a mix of flowers
that they both grow themselves (right now
This colorful firefly is one of many decorations available at Aebersold Florist and Gifts in New Albany.
Jim Hook handles delivery and watering duties at Aebersold Florist and Gifts.
they’re tending to rows upon rows of azaleas
in preparation for spring) and import
from Central America, Miami and other
parts of the world.
Collett said their New Albany location,
which is close to both Louisville wholesalers
and the UPS hub, is ideal for being
able to deliver fresh flowers. “The flowers
don’t sit on planes, or sit on trucks, or take
a long time to get delivered,” Collett said.
“As soon as we get an order, we use it and
send it out.”
Their ability to deliver fresh flowers
is bolstered by a network of florists in
Kentuckiana who work together to make
deliveries across the area, Aebersold said.
Rather than compete for business, the florists
arrange deliveries by ZIP code and
help each other out -- taking all deliveries
across the river to Louisville, for example,
or doing runs to outlying areas. “We all
look out for each other,” Collett said.
But it’s not all business and logistics.
Designing those beautiful arrangements
requires a creative eye, a feel for complementary
colors, spatial awareness and
26 September / October 2020