Business Spotlight: Floral wholesaler evolves with industry

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After Bob Mears graduated from college, he could have joined his family's retail floral business in Kansas City. Instead Mears decided to strike out on his own, and in 1949, he moved to Springfield and opened Mears Floral Products. |ret||ret||tab|

Springfield didn't have a floral wholesaler at the time. Retail florists responded favorably to Mears, who had a degree in ornamental horticulture from Kansas State University, and Mears Floral grew quickly. |ret||ret||tab|

In 1973, Bob Mears left the business due to illness, and his son Dave took over operations. Dave Mears said he never expected to join his family business. In fact, he was working toward a doctorate degree in French and Italian literature before he left school and returned to Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

Although Dave Mears didn't have a background in business, he immersed himself in the company's operations. He also joined several professional organizations, which allowed him to get the experience and training he needed. Under his supervision, Mears Floral continued to grow and expand, and today the company employs 50 full-time and seven part-time workers. |ret||ret||tab|

Approximately 75 percent of Mears Floral's customers are retail florists, and 25 percent are supermarkets and garden centers, according to Dave Mears. Some of these customers shop at the Mears Floral's state-of-the-art showroom. Most of the company's customers, however, wait for Mears Floral to come to them. |ret||ret||tab|

Each day, 10 refrigerated trucks deliver fresh-cut flowers and greenery to customers located within a 200-mile radius of Springfield. Each truck is manned by a salesperson that carries a portable computer and printer. This allows each salesperson to take orders and generate invoices for customers on the spot. |ret||ret||tab|

"My dad came up with the idea to sell flowers and greenery right off the truck back in the 1950s," Dave Mears said. "It's really worked well for us. Bringing the products to the customer really increases sales. Customers do more impulse buying, and florists, particularly those in small towns, can buy just the right amount of fresh flowers when they get hit with an unexpected funeral." |ret||ret||tab|

Although most customers are located in the area, the company does ship flowers and supplies nationwide via UPS or a common carrier. In addition, Mears Floral sells nonperishable merchandise, such as baskets, ribbons, gift items, silk flowers and other items used by florists, as well as some furniture. |ret||ret||tab|

These nonperishable products also are sold off display trucks, which travel throughout Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. Like the floral delivery trucks, each vehicle is manned by a salesperson.|ret||ret||tab|

"Some of our retail customers order from one of our catalogs or brochures," Dave Mears said. "However, we've found that taking a display truck around really increases business because it gives the retailers a chance to inspect the merchandise firsthand." |ret||ret||tab|

Two years ago, Mears Floral significantly expanded its facility so it could keep up with the demand for its flowers, greenery and nonperishable floral products. A 5,000-square-foot refrigerated warehouse and loading dock were added to one end of the building and a 10,000-square-foot storage facility for nonperishable floral products was added to the other end of the building. |ret||ret||tab|

"We really needed the extra space," Dave Mears said. "We pride ourselves on offering customers both quality and selection."|ret||ret||tab|

To ensure the company sells only top-notch products, Dave Mears travels to flower farms in Columbia and Ecuador each year. His wife Judy Mears, in turn, visits factories in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangkok and Mexico where she buys many of the nonperishable products and furniture that are sold locally. |ret||ret||tab|

In addition to its mobile sales force, Mears Floral employs five telemarketers who solicit business from retail customers. The company also is preparing to launch its own Web site in an effort to broaden its sales base.|ret||ret||tab|

"The distribution channel in the floral wholesale business is changing, partly because of the Internet," Dave Mears said. "Wholesalers are getting cut out more and more, even though they add value to the product. We can get products to market quicker, and we're quick to react to changes in the industry. We also provide our customers with consistent quality."|ret||ret||tab|

The company's commitment to quality has not gone unnoticed. In 1993, Mears Floral received the U.S. Small Business Administration Special Award of Excellence, and in 1995, Mears Floral won the Small Business of the Year Award from the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. |ret||ret||tab|

In addition, Dave Mears is active in several professional organizations, such as the Society of American Florists, the American Floral Endowment and the Springfield Southeast Rotary Club. He's also is a past-president of the Springfield Floral Association, past-president and board member of the Wholesale Florists & Florist Suppliers Association and past-chairman of the National Promoflor Council, which promotes the sales of flowers. [[In-content Ad]]