By Seth Schmidt
April snowstorms haven’t stopped a new business from blooming in Tracy.
Greenwood Floral is now offering fresh-cut flower arrangements for weddings, funerals, special occasion gifts and personal pick-me-ups. Flowers can also be ordered and sent almost anywhere in the U.S.
The new floral shop is an offshoot of Greenwood Nursery, one of Tracy’s longest established family-owned businesses.
“We saw a need for this,” explained Greenwood founder Jeff Farber. “There wasn’t any other place locally where people could order flower arrangements.”
The floral shop venture opened at Greenwood’s South Fourth St. store the first week in April. Extensive remodeling paved the way.
A new display cooler now graces a corner of Greenwood’s gift and garden supply store, where an array of fresh floral arrangements are available for walk-in customers. The cooler also preserves shipments of cut flowers and greenery used in making up arrangements.
The remodeling affected a 4,000 square-foot “footprint.” Farber’s former office is being transformed into a floral consultation room.
Renovations have also created new office space and a new employee break room, while upgrading workspace for nursery operations. Electrical services have been updated.
Contractor Joe Pallansch, electrician Brad Stoneberg of G&R Electric, and Ryan Hoffman of GH Plumbing did the work.
“I tried to have everything done locally,” said Farber. “They did a nice job.”
Farber is happy with the project.
“It’s been a nice change for both the business and the employees.”
He’s heard good reports from customers as well.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the response we’ve gotten.”
In its first two weeks, Farber said Greenwood Floral had already taken orders for a number of funerals, had significant walk-in traffic, and begun fielding orders for flower deliveries.
Terri Welvaert has been hired to manage Greenwood Floral. The Tracy woman loves her work.
“I’ve always had a passion for plants and design,” says the 1996 Marshall graduate, who was trained in floral design at Brainerd Vocational Technical Institute, and has experience working at several floral businesses.
Her most exotic floral stint took place in 2006-09, when she lived in Hawaii, and had a job packing flowers for shipping to the U.S. Mainland.
Welvaert says she is upbeat about the opportunity at Greenwood Floral, because she is doing something that she loves, while also helping serve the needs of local customers.
For more on this article, see this week’s Headlight Herald.