Flower power

La Crosse Tribune, Jun 30, 2003 by Cahalan, Steve

After 95 years, La Crosse Floral at 2900 Floral Lane is still, going strong, despite a 1924 fire, a 1928 flood, the Great Depression of the 1930s and a severe hailstorm in 1964 that broke about 3,000 panes of glass.

Last week, Linda Zoerb, who succeeded her father, John Zoerb, in 1994 as La Crosse Floral president and chairman of the board, paged through a scrapbook full of news clippings and photos that illustrate the company's history. Many of the people in the photos were familiar to her.

That's because she is the fourth generation of the Zoerb family to be involved in the business, which started in 1908 and today has a floral shop, garden center and greenhouses. The family's association with the business officially began in 1916, when her great-grandfather, Carl G. Zoerb, was elected secretary of the corporation.

Linda Zoerb is one of a small group of stockholders who own the company today. "It's mostly family members," she said of the stockholders.

She joined the company in 1985 after graduating from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis., with a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry. But she was only 12 when she started working at La Crosse Floral's greenhouses after school and on weekends.

"There's this huge artistic side of me," Zoerb said, explaining what she enjoys about the business. She has always enjoyed making floral arrangements and bouquets. "And I love putting things together so people can see what their gardens can be," she said, adding that she wants people to enjoy flowers and feel confident about growing plants in their garden.

"You can have a mini-vacation in your back yard or in your room," Zoerb said.

"I love flowers," she said. "They make me feel good. And I'm lucky to be working with the people I work with every day. They make it easy."

The business has 28 to 45 employees during the course of a year, with employment peaking from March through May because that is when the largest numbers of plants are being grown in La Crosse Floral's greenhouses. "We have 80,000 square feet of growing space" in greenhouses, Zoerb said.

La Crosse Floral was among 25 florist shops around the nation recognized in the "Retail Florist of the Year Contest" sponsored by Florists' Review magazine and the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association.

Zoerb has been quoted in articles in industry publications such as Florists' Review, and she said La Crosse Floral's "bow vans" will be featured in that magazine's August issue.

The La Crosse business has two delivery vans with giant creamcolor bows on top.

"Kids call them the 'present vans,' Zoerb said of bow vans, which she has had for four years. "It's one of the best things I've ever done," she said of the concept, which she said has provided increased exposure and visibility.

Zoerb also has added display gardens and colored awnings at La Crosse Floral, since becoming president and chairman of the board in 1994.

The company has annual sales of more than $1 million, she said.

Its busiest day is the Saturday before Mother's Day. And the second-busiest day is Valentine's Day. Because of the way its employees handle them, Zoerb said, "We get a lot of compliments about how long our cut flowers last."

Besides cut flowers, La Crosse Floral sells a variety of indoor and outdoor green plants and seed.

In addition to green plants and seed, the garden shop sells such things as trellises, pots, chemicals, wind chimes, bird baths, stepping stones and potting soil.

"As soon as people switch to our potting soil, they're amazed at how fast their plants grow, and how well they grow," Zoerb said, adding that La Crosse Floral mixes its own potting soil.

The floral shop also sells such things as plush animals, balloons, novelty T-shirts, candles, wind chimes, stepping stones, giftware, bath products, framed prints, candy and greeting cards. "We also can put together gift baskets and fruit and cheese baskets" year-round, Zoerb said.

Since 1994, LaCrosse Floral has participated in Good Neighbor Day, which a number of floral shops across the nation observe each year. This year's event will be Sept. 3.

During Good Neighbor Day, La Crosse Floral hands out 10,000 roses, free of charge. In exchange for a dozen roses - one to keep and 11 to give away to friends and neighbors - La Crosse Floral collects canned food or money.

The donated food and money then are given to the WAFER food pantry and to the Salvation Army.

"I think you need to give back to the community you live in," Zoerb said of the reason for participating in Good Neighbor Day and other philanthropic activities.

BUSINESS OF THE WEEK

* What: La Crosse Floral, a floral shop and garden center at 2900 Floral Lane.

* Who: Linda Zoerb has been president and chairman of the board since 1994 and is the fourth generation of the Zoerb family to be involved in the business. The company is owned by a small number of stockholders.

* Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

* Contact: For more information, call the business at (608) 7847500.