A 'global company on the prairie'

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jul 27, 2003 by Michael Hooper Capital-Journal

Florists' Review is based in Topeka

but has clients in Ecuador, Holland and Israel

MATT STAMEY/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Frances Dudley, president of Florists' Review, purchased the magazine and brought it from Chicago to Kansas in 1987.

Florists' Review in 1909 and today.

Talmage McLaurin

vice president of creative services

Darin Osterhaus

vice president of operations

David Coake

editor in chief

By Michael Hooper

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

When Lisa McClendon went to Ecuador in June, she had arranged for someone to meet her at the airport in Quito, the country's capital.

Her contact identified her as the person holding up a copy of Florists' Review, a magazine based

in Topeka.

McClendon, a senior account executive with Florists' Review, stayed in Ecuador for three days attending an exhibition. She made contacts with flower growers, sold flower books and visited with customers of the magazine.

The trip was one of several major trips taken by staff of Florists' Review, which publisher Frances Dudley considers a "global company on the prairie."

Dudley isn't exaggerating. The 30,000-circulation magazine has advertisers from Holland, Israel, Colombia and Hawaii. The magazine serves primarily independent floral shops.

Her company, Florists' Review Enterprises Inc., also publishes two or three books each year and distributes books from publishers from Germany and Japan. The Topeka company also owns Super Floral Retailing, of Overland Park, a magazine serving primarily mass retailers, such as supermarkets, that sell flowers. About half of the flowers sold in the United States are sold in non-traditional flower shops such as supermarkets and convenience stores.

The company has 23 employees in Topeka and five in Overland Park.

Florists' Review magazine was founded in Chicago in 1897. About 22 years ago, Dudley, of Topeka, was a freelance writer for and later editor of the magazine. The previous owner decided to sell, and Dudley purchased the magazine and moved it to Topeka from Chicago in 1987.

The magazine previously was located at 3641 S.W. Plass, where it leased 3,400 square feet of space. Dudley purchased a former law office at S.W. 33rd and Van Buren and moved operations on June 25. The new offices are roomier, well-lighted and contain individual work spaces for the employees. Flowers and pictures of flowers decorate the offices. The lower level has offices for page designers, a future studio space and a library of all of the bound volumes of the magazine dating to its first issue.

A year ago, the company purchased Super Floral Retailing, which was a competitor of sorts.

Dudley and Talmage McLaurin, vice president/creative, and Darin Osterhaus, vice president/operations, had considered moving Super Floral Retailing into the Topeka operations, but after discussing the idea with its staff, chose to keep it in Overland Park.

Osterhaus said that initially, the company was planning to recoup its investment in Super Floral Retailing in about three years. But because of refocusing the magazine's mission on supermarkets and away from Florists' Review's traditional retailers, they created broader coverage and benefited both magazines financially. Super Floral Retailing has a circulation of 17,000 and has become a profitable investment.

The advertising staff was able to put together sales packages for customers who want to sell products through both magazines.

Another advantage is the company was able to leverage both magazines to obtain a better printing contract at Banta Publications in Liberty, Mo.

In the intensely competitive world of magazine publishing, Super Floral Retailing and Florists' Review have survived while two other florists' magazines, including FTD's magazine, ceased publication. FTD advertises in Florists' Review.

"We partner with FTD," Dudley said. "Our magazine is part of FTD's package to its members."

Dudley said her goal is to hire people who are considered the best in their profession. Many have worked in the floral industry.

"We have high expectations," she said. "We can't have anybody who is not the best. We're too small."

When she was looking for a bookkeeper about a decade ago, she met Osterhaus, a Washburn University graduate and a certified public accountant, who was probably overqualified for a bookkeeping job. But he turned out to be a great asset, the "numbers guy" behind each deal. He is conservative fiscally because he wants Florists' Review to be a secure place to work.

McLaurin is considered one of the top floral designers in the country. He grew up in a family floral shop in Arkansas. He recently organized the annual convention of the American Institute of Floral Designers in St. Louis. Next year the convention will be in New York.

McLaurin is responsible for all editorial content, both written and visual, in Florists' Review, along with the layout and design of all publications.

Editor in Chief David Coake said the magazine strikes a balance between creative design and business expertise. Retailers are hungry for knowledge on how to succeed financially.