Adapting to change
By Brooke McAfee
Family businesses continue legacies from generation to generation
SOUTHERN INDIANA — As the fourth generation of Aebersold Florist , Lara Collett is carrying on a family legacy that started more than a century ago .
The New Albany shop , located on 1217 Silver Street , was opened in 1908 by her great-grandparents , and it has remained in the Aebersold family ever since . It ’ s a long time for a business to be in operation , and the florist has continued to adapt over the years as it is passed down from generation to generation .
“ I think it is more than a business ,” Collett said . “ It ’ s the family ’ s legacy . It ’ s being part of the community , that we ’ ve been a part of for 114 years .”
Collett runs the business with her parents , Lana and David Aebersold , who are “ semi-retired ” but remain active in the shop on a daily basis .
She learned floral design from her mother , who has been working in the shop since she was 16 years old .
Before she began working at Aebersold Florist , Collett pursued a career in communications and began realizing she wanted to take a different path . She then returned to the family business , where she has remained for 29 years .
These days , Aebersold Florist is a much bigger operation than the small shop that opened in the early 1900s . There are more employees working at the store , whether they are putting together floral arrangements or delivering flowers across the community .
The shop uses flowers imported from all over the world instead of just relying on flowers in their own greenhouse . Technological advances have allowed the shop to coordinate deliveries not just locally , but also nationally and internationally .
“ A business has to grow — it can ’ t stay the same or it will die ,” Collett said . “ You have to embrace change .”
For more than 20 years , Aebersold Florist operated a second store in Sellersburg . However , the shop permanently closed in 2020 due to the pandemic , and most of the staff transferred to the New Albany store .
Despite this change , business remained strong during the pandemic as Aebersold Florist saw a large demand for its services . Recently , Aebersold ’ s began offering flower-arranging classes , which Collett plans to offer quarterly .
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022
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