Oh, Yay! It’s Mr. Bill!
If you were a fan of “Saturday Night Live” back in the ’70s, you probably remember Mr. Bill, the clay-figurine star of a parody of children's shows who used to appear in “SNL” skits. Mr. Bill was best-known for the shrill, “Ohhhh nooooooo!” he would shriek when he inevitably came to his painful demise—usually being squashed flat—after suffering some horrible abuse from “Mr. Hands” and “Sluggo.” (Gee, in retrospect, that sounds pretty awful! But I used to laugh so hard I’d snort nacho cheese Doritos out of my nose!)
Today, whenever I meet a “Bill” for the first time, I still immediately think of “Mr. Bill.” And thoughts of Mr. Bill inevitably lead me to squeal, “Ohhhh, noooooo!” (Not out loud, of course! I do manage to keep the squeal inside my head. So far.)
I know. It’s an affliction for which I should seek help.
Anyway, while this oddity is nearly universal for me, there is one Mr. Bill for whom I never think, “Ohhhhh nooooo!” In fact, it’s just the opposite. When I see an email from him pop up in my Outlook, I immediately think, “Ohhhh yaaaay!” Who is this Mr. Bill who creates such glee for me? If you’re lucky, you already know him—Bill Schodowski.
If you don’t know Bill, it’s time you were introduced! Here at FlowerChat, we think of Bill as, well, an icon of the floral industry. He’d probably be modest and deny it, but for goodness’ sake! Look at his credentials! For one, he’s the current vice president of business development for Florist Buying Club. And if that’s not impressive enough, before that, he worked for some of the biggest names in the biz: Delaware Valley Floral Group, Equiflor and FTD. See? The man has got some serious street cred!
One of Bill’s best qualities is not just his keen knowledge of the industry, however, but his willingness to share that knowledge. He’s always working to benefit the industry in whatever ways possible. He even writes a weekly e-newsletter (the reason for my weekly glee) that is beloved by its recipients for its useful (and uplifting) commentary. (Not on his list? Send Bill a note at [email protected] and ask to be added.)
Because Bill is such an admirable guy, we decided it was high time we made sure all of our FlowerChat newsletter readers got to know Bill, too. We knew it would be valuable for you to read about some of what Bill’s been up to in his efforts to ensure the continuing success of our industry. With that in mind, we recently asked Bill to sit down and answer a few questions so you can get to know him better…
FlowerChat: You were on the same trip to Ecuador that Ryan (Freeman, founder and administrator of FlowerChat) attended. What was the highlight of the trip for you?
Bill Schodowski: Other than being in Ryan’s company for the better part of the week? I think everything else runs a distant second! Seriously, though, the trip to Ecuador was fantastic as it opened my eyes to another world and another segment of our industry. The people and the farms that we visited were great. The “how” in how flowers are grown, harvested, graded and packaged was simply amazing. For example, the story of the folks that run Fresh Cut, who took a traditional rose farm and transformed it into a 100-percent organic farm, is something you’ve got to see to appreciate.
FC: Now that you’ve been home for awhile, what info did you gain from the trip that has turned out to be the most valuable?
Bill: On an issue close to home, my company, Florist Buying Club, expanded our farm network to include a few farms that we visited. In a larger sense, I’m an industry vet with over 41 years invested. I still get excited about seeing the farms, the working conditions, the people. I admit I had a misconception about life on the farm and was very happy to see how the farms viewed their labor force as a principal asset for their operations. One great story centers around the owners of Valleflor; they reacted to their employees’ need for a quiet place to meditate and reflect by building them a beautiful chapel on the grounds of the farm. The providing of the medical services, food and transportation to care for the basic needs of their employees was very impressive.
FC: Why do you think it’s important for U.S. florists to be familiar with where their flowers come from and the conditions under which they grow?
Bill: On a sales level, I think it’s a wonderful story for the retail-shop sales people to convey that our industry is a “worldwide” venue. Too many retailers don’t convey the message that the product in their coolers represents a floral “league of nations.” We give no distinction to our wonderful product when we sell roses at $XXX per dozen. We should market and sell “beautifully grown, hand-picked, Ecuadorian roses grown at an altitude of 9,000 feet, half a world away, just for you—our customer.” In that way, we elevate the status of the product we sell. Let the supermarkets and the big-box stores treat flowers like a commodity. We should do everything in our power to make our product distinctive and special.
Knowing more about the growing conditions is equally important. I don’t know too many people in our industry who would willingly participate in a business venture with a segment that was operating a “sweatbox” type of environment where there was no care for the people who work hard to bring the beautiful product to market. In the absence of fact, however, fiction takes over, and those (negative) stories are continually advanced. A dedicated florist should gain as much information about his or her chosen industry as possible. And that includes where and how the flowers are grown.
FC: The ATPDEA is an issue about which you’ve been working to educate the industry. (For those unfamiliar with what the ATPDEA is, see Bill’s explanation below this interview.) Despite your efforts, on the whole, do you think many florists understand what it is? Are they familiar with it?
Bill: Unfortunately not. There is probably too much activity taking place in the floral community for this type of “top-of-mind” awareness on the ATPDEA to exist. The ATPDEA is one of those things that becomes important only after it disappears or the fear of its disappearing occurs. I, and those who took the trip to Ecuador with me, have a job—a responsibility—to make our fellow florists aware of what might occur if the ATPDEA was to vanish and to keep it on the industry’s radar. There are a lot of things that could happen if the ATPDEA was to not be renewed—and most of them are bad.
FC: Do have concerns about how the ATPDEA is impacting U.S.-grown floral product? Or, that is, how do you see the ATPDEA impacting U.S.-grown floral product?
Bill: I believe those are two separate issues. There is a niche for Ecuadorian product, for Colombian-grown product and for Californian-grown product. I don’t necessarily see any gains by one if another segment suffers. Perhaps Ecuadorian requests would shift to Colombian due to the similarity of products grown. I don’t see the demand for California product hugely increasing if the ATPDEA is not renewed; I see California product requests increasing because they grow a great product—not because of legislation.
FC: Right now, no one seems all that confident that the U.S. government will renew the ATPDEA. What do you think would happen if the APTDEA isn’t renewed? How will it impact the U.S. floral industry?
Bill: It will be interesting, but I hope we don’t have to find out. Even though the U.S. is showing signs of getting out of the recession that has impacted us over the past few years, I don’t believe it is a sign that the U.S. retailer/wholesaler/broker will be willing to pay more for the product if they have to pay the duty. Ecuadorian product normally costs more because it costs more to ship from Ecuador than from Colombia. Add the extra duty to the equation, and you might have a serious price differential that could be too great to overcome. Ecuadorian product will still be bought. However, I think the demand will diminish.
FC: With your strong support of the ATPDEA, do you ever face questions that the act negatively impacts California and other U.S. floral farmers?
Bill: I know that there is a strong “Buy USA” rallying cry, and I am as patriotic as the next guy. However, I don’t know if the U.S. can quickly step in and fill the void left by a potential absence of Ecuadorian product. The numbers of farms in the U.S. that are still in production are no longer at the same levels that the industry enjoyed in previous decades. And, if it gets down to the issue of size of the bloom, there is no ready substitute for the Ecuadorian rose, which is the beneficiary of optimum growing conditions. On paper, it might look like the U.S. might benefit, but I truly don’t know that to be the case.
FC: Speaking of floral farmers, you work directly with growers for most of the product you sell at FBC, correct? How does that help set your firm apart from other distributors?
Bill: We are not farm-owned, so we are not tied to having to sell a given farm’s production—for better or worse. However, FBC’s mission statement is to provide profitability for our two customers: our retail community and our farms. We have long-term relationships with the majority of our farms, and we work hard to move their products. We are in constant contact with the farms to enhance their attractiveness to what our customers want and need. Proper cut stage, post-harvest care and packaging are all important pieces of what differentiates FBC from the pack. Many of us at FBC are industry vets who have come together to deliver something new and exciting. It is our passion to deliver the best-quality, consistent product, at affordable pricing, backed by outstanding customer service. A “sister” company of Florist Buying Club is California Floral Solution, which sources the absolute very best that California farms grow.
FC: In a nutshell, what’s the main distinguishing factor about FBC compared to its competitors?
Bill: Florist Buying Club is unique in that we are a farm-direct-to-retailer operation with a mission statement to provide profitability for our two customers, as mentioned, the farms and the retail community. We have successfully taken links out of the fulfillment chain by eliminating the added costs in the supply chain. Our customers have the opportunity to order in small quantities (quarter boxes), as well as large quantities, whatever is grown down on the farm. They no longer need to settle for what another industry segment felt they should buy.
Our product availability runs from A to Z with virtually no product being unavailable. The product freshness is increased dramatically, too, as it is not harvested and packaged until the order is received. And we can address all of our time zones with a seven-day advanced ordering cycle. Further, we are not volatile in our pricing. In fact, we hold our pricing constant 40 to 42 weeks of the year, increasing our pricing only during brief windows at holidays when we have to pass along additional expenses that we incur. FBC and CFS are great models for retailers to investigate if they happen to reside in communities that are being “underserved” by the traditional supply chain for sourcing product.
Want to learn more about FBC? Visit http://floristbuyingclub.com.
***********************************************
Bill Explains ATPDEA
In July 2013, the Andean Trade Promotion & Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) is up for renewal. This is the act that keeps flowers and other products shipping duty-free between Ecuador and the United States. It does not look like an automatic renewal will be a slam dunk. In fact, it might not happen at all. This will not be good for any link in the floral supply chain as brokers, wholesalers and retailers will all end up paying more for this great Ecuadorian product. The time to act is NOW. I urge you to notify your Congressmen and Senators that you desire them to be focused on this important piece of legislation as it has a direct impact on your bottom line.
Not sure how to get in touch with your elected representatives? It’s easy. Click here and enter your ZIP code to get a list of your elected officials in Congress. You will be taken to a page with details on how to get in touch, including that individual’s email address. To find details on your state senator, click here and choose your state to get contact information.
For more explanation on ATPDEA, check out Ryan Freeman’s Real Florist Blog here.
If you were a fan of “Saturday Night Live” back in the ’70s, you probably remember Mr. Bill, the clay-figurine star of a parody of children's shows who used to appear in “SNL” skits. Mr. Bill was best-known for the shrill, “Ohhhh nooooooo!” he would shriek when he inevitably came to his painful demise—usually being squashed flat—after suffering some horrible abuse from “Mr. Hands” and “Sluggo.” (Gee, in retrospect, that sounds pretty awful! But I used to laugh so hard I’d snort nacho cheese Doritos out of my nose!)
Today, whenever I meet a “Bill” for the first time, I still immediately think of “Mr. Bill.” And thoughts of Mr. Bill inevitably lead me to squeal, “Ohhhh, noooooo!” (Not out loud, of course! I do manage to keep the squeal inside my head. So far.)
I know. It’s an affliction for which I should seek help.
Anyway, while this oddity is nearly universal for me, there is one Mr. Bill for whom I never think, “Ohhhhh nooooo!” In fact, it’s just the opposite. When I see an email from him pop up in my Outlook, I immediately think, “Ohhhh yaaaay!” Who is this Mr. Bill who creates such glee for me? If you’re lucky, you already know him—Bill Schodowski.
If you don’t know Bill, it’s time you were introduced! Here at FlowerChat, we think of Bill as, well, an icon of the floral industry. He’d probably be modest and deny it, but for goodness’ sake! Look at his credentials! For one, he’s the current vice president of business development for Florist Buying Club. And if that’s not impressive enough, before that, he worked for some of the biggest names in the biz: Delaware Valley Floral Group, Equiflor and FTD. See? The man has got some serious street cred!
One of Bill’s best qualities is not just his keen knowledge of the industry, however, but his willingness to share that knowledge. He’s always working to benefit the industry in whatever ways possible. He even writes a weekly e-newsletter (the reason for my weekly glee) that is beloved by its recipients for its useful (and uplifting) commentary. (Not on his list? Send Bill a note at [email protected] and ask to be added.)
Because Bill is such an admirable guy, we decided it was high time we made sure all of our FlowerChat newsletter readers got to know Bill, too. We knew it would be valuable for you to read about some of what Bill’s been up to in his efforts to ensure the continuing success of our industry. With that in mind, we recently asked Bill to sit down and answer a few questions so you can get to know him better…
FlowerChat: You were on the same trip to Ecuador that Ryan (Freeman, founder and administrator of FlowerChat) attended. What was the highlight of the trip for you?
Bill Schodowski: Other than being in Ryan’s company for the better part of the week? I think everything else runs a distant second! Seriously, though, the trip to Ecuador was fantastic as it opened my eyes to another world and another segment of our industry. The people and the farms that we visited were great. The “how” in how flowers are grown, harvested, graded and packaged was simply amazing. For example, the story of the folks that run Fresh Cut, who took a traditional rose farm and transformed it into a 100-percent organic farm, is something you’ve got to see to appreciate.
FC: Now that you’ve been home for awhile, what info did you gain from the trip that has turned out to be the most valuable?
Bill: On an issue close to home, my company, Florist Buying Club, expanded our farm network to include a few farms that we visited. In a larger sense, I’m an industry vet with over 41 years invested. I still get excited about seeing the farms, the working conditions, the people. I admit I had a misconception about life on the farm and was very happy to see how the farms viewed their labor force as a principal asset for their operations. One great story centers around the owners of Valleflor; they reacted to their employees’ need for a quiet place to meditate and reflect by building them a beautiful chapel on the grounds of the farm. The providing of the medical services, food and transportation to care for the basic needs of their employees was very impressive.
FC: Why do you think it’s important for U.S. florists to be familiar with where their flowers come from and the conditions under which they grow?
Bill: On a sales level, I think it’s a wonderful story for the retail-shop sales people to convey that our industry is a “worldwide” venue. Too many retailers don’t convey the message that the product in their coolers represents a floral “league of nations.” We give no distinction to our wonderful product when we sell roses at $XXX per dozen. We should market and sell “beautifully grown, hand-picked, Ecuadorian roses grown at an altitude of 9,000 feet, half a world away, just for you—our customer.” In that way, we elevate the status of the product we sell. Let the supermarkets and the big-box stores treat flowers like a commodity. We should do everything in our power to make our product distinctive and special.
Knowing more about the growing conditions is equally important. I don’t know too many people in our industry who would willingly participate in a business venture with a segment that was operating a “sweatbox” type of environment where there was no care for the people who work hard to bring the beautiful product to market. In the absence of fact, however, fiction takes over, and those (negative) stories are continually advanced. A dedicated florist should gain as much information about his or her chosen industry as possible. And that includes where and how the flowers are grown.
FC: The ATPDEA is an issue about which you’ve been working to educate the industry. (For those unfamiliar with what the ATPDEA is, see Bill’s explanation below this interview.) Despite your efforts, on the whole, do you think many florists understand what it is? Are they familiar with it?
Bill: Unfortunately not. There is probably too much activity taking place in the floral community for this type of “top-of-mind” awareness on the ATPDEA to exist. The ATPDEA is one of those things that becomes important only after it disappears or the fear of its disappearing occurs. I, and those who took the trip to Ecuador with me, have a job—a responsibility—to make our fellow florists aware of what might occur if the ATPDEA was to vanish and to keep it on the industry’s radar. There are a lot of things that could happen if the ATPDEA was to not be renewed—and most of them are bad.
FC: Do have concerns about how the ATPDEA is impacting U.S.-grown floral product? Or, that is, how do you see the ATPDEA impacting U.S.-grown floral product?
Bill: I believe those are two separate issues. There is a niche for Ecuadorian product, for Colombian-grown product and for Californian-grown product. I don’t necessarily see any gains by one if another segment suffers. Perhaps Ecuadorian requests would shift to Colombian due to the similarity of products grown. I don’t see the demand for California product hugely increasing if the ATPDEA is not renewed; I see California product requests increasing because they grow a great product—not because of legislation.
FC: Right now, no one seems all that confident that the U.S. government will renew the ATPDEA. What do you think would happen if the APTDEA isn’t renewed? How will it impact the U.S. floral industry?
Bill: It will be interesting, but I hope we don’t have to find out. Even though the U.S. is showing signs of getting out of the recession that has impacted us over the past few years, I don’t believe it is a sign that the U.S. retailer/wholesaler/broker will be willing to pay more for the product if they have to pay the duty. Ecuadorian product normally costs more because it costs more to ship from Ecuador than from Colombia. Add the extra duty to the equation, and you might have a serious price differential that could be too great to overcome. Ecuadorian product will still be bought. However, I think the demand will diminish.
FC: With your strong support of the ATPDEA, do you ever face questions that the act negatively impacts California and other U.S. floral farmers?
Bill: I know that there is a strong “Buy USA” rallying cry, and I am as patriotic as the next guy. However, I don’t know if the U.S. can quickly step in and fill the void left by a potential absence of Ecuadorian product. The numbers of farms in the U.S. that are still in production are no longer at the same levels that the industry enjoyed in previous decades. And, if it gets down to the issue of size of the bloom, there is no ready substitute for the Ecuadorian rose, which is the beneficiary of optimum growing conditions. On paper, it might look like the U.S. might benefit, but I truly don’t know that to be the case.
FC: Speaking of floral farmers, you work directly with growers for most of the product you sell at FBC, correct? How does that help set your firm apart from other distributors?
Bill: We are not farm-owned, so we are not tied to having to sell a given farm’s production—for better or worse. However, FBC’s mission statement is to provide profitability for our two customers: our retail community and our farms. We have long-term relationships with the majority of our farms, and we work hard to move their products. We are in constant contact with the farms to enhance their attractiveness to what our customers want and need. Proper cut stage, post-harvest care and packaging are all important pieces of what differentiates FBC from the pack. Many of us at FBC are industry vets who have come together to deliver something new and exciting. It is our passion to deliver the best-quality, consistent product, at affordable pricing, backed by outstanding customer service. A “sister” company of Florist Buying Club is California Floral Solution, which sources the absolute very best that California farms grow.
FC: In a nutshell, what’s the main distinguishing factor about FBC compared to its competitors?
Bill: Florist Buying Club is unique in that we are a farm-direct-to-retailer operation with a mission statement to provide profitability for our two customers, as mentioned, the farms and the retail community. We have successfully taken links out of the fulfillment chain by eliminating the added costs in the supply chain. Our customers have the opportunity to order in small quantities (quarter boxes), as well as large quantities, whatever is grown down on the farm. They no longer need to settle for what another industry segment felt they should buy.
Our product availability runs from A to Z with virtually no product being unavailable. The product freshness is increased dramatically, too, as it is not harvested and packaged until the order is received. And we can address all of our time zones with a seven-day advanced ordering cycle. Further, we are not volatile in our pricing. In fact, we hold our pricing constant 40 to 42 weeks of the year, increasing our pricing only during brief windows at holidays when we have to pass along additional expenses that we incur. FBC and CFS are great models for retailers to investigate if they happen to reside in communities that are being “underserved” by the traditional supply chain for sourcing product.
Want to learn more about FBC? Visit http://floristbuyingclub.com.
***********************************************
Bill Explains ATPDEA
In July 2013, the Andean Trade Promotion & Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) is up for renewal. This is the act that keeps flowers and other products shipping duty-free between Ecuador and the United States. It does not look like an automatic renewal will be a slam dunk. In fact, it might not happen at all. This will not be good for any link in the floral supply chain as brokers, wholesalers and retailers will all end up paying more for this great Ecuadorian product. The time to act is NOW. I urge you to notify your Congressmen and Senators that you desire them to be focused on this important piece of legislation as it has a direct impact on your bottom line.
Not sure how to get in touch with your elected representatives? It’s easy. Click here and enter your ZIP code to get a list of your elected officials in Congress. You will be taken to a page with details on how to get in touch, including that individual’s email address. To find details on your state senator, click here and choose your state to get contact information.
For more explanation on ATPDEA, check out Ryan Freeman’s Real Florist Blog here.
