Oklahoma Florist Wins Civic Award

New businesses, take note: it’s not just the established florists that get local accolades.

Glenda Wise of The Bamboo Orchid recently received the Civic Improvement Award (in the Small Business — New Construction category), for Poteau, Okla., as well as citations of congratulations from her senator and congressional representative, only a year after opening her doors in January 2006.

“Her business was judged on … the overall appearance, inside and out,” says Bonnie Prigmore of the Poteau Chamber of Commerce.

Wise says of her open-plan interior: “I believe the al fresco designing lets customers see creativity at work.”

Wise, however, suspects her unique design style and excellent customer service contributed to her winning the award, which she received at the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner in February.

“I think that for people who aren’t necessarily exposed to a lot of different design styles, we offer them something else — something they wouldn’t normally get,” Wise says. “In crunch time we always make something work for the customers.”

She also hopes her award will prove to customers that she is in it for the long haul: “I feel like a lot of new things don’t stick around,” she says. “But this award shows that we are here to stay.”

–Vanessa Machir vmachir@safnow.org Reprinted courtesy of Society of American Florists E-Brief Newsletter