Business: Phillip’s Flowers & Gifts
Address: 1007 E. Ogden Ave, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-357-5235; www.phillips-flowers.com
Co-owner/executive vice president: Baxter Phillip, 67, of Hinsdale
Years in business: 30-plus years in Naperville; 102 overall
What does your business do? “Our specialties are fresh flowers and arrangements, indoor blooming and green plants. That includes a wide range of wedding flowers, funeral flowers, floral décor,” Baxter Phillip said.
“There are three legs to our stool. One is the everyday flower business, new baby, Christmas, Valentine’s, the ‘thank you for letting my kid stay at your Aspen condo, sorry he tore it up so bad.’ That’s the everyday business. Another is weddings and events. The third leg of the stool is sympathy expressions. There are 50-plus funeral homes in Chicagoland that rely on us to deliver the family flowers for their customers.”
What do you like about this business? “One of the neat things about our business is we have relationships with our customers from the birth of their babies through college graduations, weddings, anniversaries and even times of sorrow. I can’t tell you how many customers tell us, ‘You did my grandparents’ wedding, my parents’ wedding, my daughter’s wedding.’ That’s very meaningful and touching to us.”
When did Phillip’s start? “In 1923. My grandparents, James and Helen, in Cicero. Not because that was Al Capone’s headquarters. In the 1920s, that was an upscale suburb of Chicago.
“Today, we have shops in Elmhurst, Hinsdale, La Grange, Naperville, Westmont and Wheaton. We deliver to the city and 150 suburbs six days a week. We are one of the larger nationwide florists as well. … Same-day delivery nationwide by computer with 20,000 other florists in America. … FTD started it in the early 1900s by telegraph. … Telaflora is the larger network.”
What’s the background? “We’re a fourth-generation family business and we currently have six family members involved. Seven if you count a part-time spouse.”
Is that difficult? “No, it’s really great. It’s no more difficult than working with nonfamily members. Fortunately, we all get along very well. We all have different areas of interest and strengths.”
What’s your strength? “I am not a florist. We have several family members who are exceptional designers. I was the black sheep in the family. I focus on websites, customer service, marketing and corporate stuff.”
What challenges do you face? No. 1 is finding great people. We’re fortunate. We have about 150 wonderful employees, But in the floral industry, it’s hard to find great people because most of our children don’t go to college and graduate thinking, ‘I hope I can become a florist.’ We attract artistic people, but they’re getting harder and harder to find. The second big challenge is the rising cost of everything. The third biggest is the increasing complexity of everything. … Now you have to have websites and email communications and data security provisions.”
Do you have a huge network of suppliers? “We buy most of our flowers direct from around the world. The big sources of fresh-cut flowers are Ecuador, Colombia, Holland, but we also buy orchids from the Philippines.
“When my grandfather started, he’d drive down to Chicago and buy his flowers every morning at the flower market.
“As shipping advanced, my father started buying direct from around the world by fax and phone. Now we buy by email from 100-plus different growers in South America alone. … California is still a producer of some fresh-cut flowers.”
How many flowers do you sell weekly? “Thousands and thousands. But we’re a cyclical business. When there are lot of weddings going on, we’re buying a lot of flowers.”
What about December? “This time of year, it’s all about outdoor wreaths, swags and patio pots. … We’ll sell about 2,500 poinsettias leading up to Christmas. And we sell centerpieces. A lot of businesses send floral arrangements.”
What about grave blankets? “The first time in the last 10 years that I’ve heard (someone ask) about those was from you and an online inquiry today. … We do those with evergreens.”
What do wedding flowers cost? “$1,500 to $60,000.”
Which flower is most popular? “Roses are still the most popular. … There are hundreds of rose varieties and they all come in multiple colors. … My wife loves peach and pastel roses.”
Which flower is your favorite? “I’m like a kid in a chocolate factory.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Go work for someone else in that business first. Learn that trade. There’s always plenty to learn from others.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
