ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Society of American Florists celebrated the longevity of two floral industry businesses and one industry trade association with the SAF Century Award during SAF Marco Island 2014, SAF’s 130th Annual Convention. Presented on Aug. 16, the honor recognizes companies that have been in business for 100 years or more.
Running a business “takes drive, determination, vision and the will to take risks,” said Leo Roozen, AAF, of Washington Bulb Co. in Mt. Vernon, Wash. “To do this for 100 years or more means not only looking back — at the founder's strength, vision and tradition — but also looking forward, building on what came before,” the SAF Awards Committee member said as he introduced this year’s honorees: George Didden Greenhouses in Hatfield, Pa. C.J. Sanderson & Son Florist in Woodbury, N.J. Texas State Florists' Association.
George Didden Greenhouses
George Didden Greenhouses is a fourth generation business owned and operated by the Ruch family. Founded by George Didden and his wife Laura, today it’s a thriving operation with 200,000 square feet of greenhouses and three acres of production area – more than 20 times their original starting capacity.
Since the company’s founding, Didden’s has centered itself on faith, community, philanthropy and stewardship. Throughout its history, the company has always responded quickly to challenges and frequently incorporates new ideas to stay nimble. Didden’s originally focused on cut flowers and holiday plants but later moved to a wholesale-only model developing varieties of several popular crops including cineraria and verbena.
Today Didden’s is an industry leader serving independent garden centers and landscapers and has successfully supplemented its business with vegetables, succulents and flowering bulbs. They have also gained recognition for their use of integrated pest management. George Didden’s three great grandsons, Ken, Jon and Dan, now own and operate the business, making it the oldest family-owned business in the Hatfield area.
C.J. Sanderson & Son Florist
C. J. Sanderson & Son Florist opened on January 1, 1913. Since then, the Sanderson family has been a full service florist serving Gloucester and Camden counties winning awards and recognition for its customer service and dedication to the local community.
Christopher J. Sanderson started the business with his brother T. Edward Sanderson. They operated it together until Christopher bought the business and property in 1915. Chris and his wife Mary ran the business for more than 45 years.
Two of their five children followed in their parents’ horticultural footsteps. One, Ken, graduated from Cornell University and received his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Maryland and taught floriculture at Auburn University. The other, Donald Sanderson, took over the business after serving in the U. S. Army. He and his wife Judith have been in charge of the business for more than 50 years. Today, at 84, Donald is still working and running the business six days a week and just served eight years as the mayor of Woodbury, N.J.
Texas State Florists' Association
In 1913, a small group of florists across the state of Texas began to see the need for a Texas florist club. After a year in planning, on May 4, 1914, at the Elks Club of Waco, Texas, an organizational meeting was held to form a new “club” called the Texas State Florists’ Association. The first order of business was a decision to hold a public flower show in Houston as a way to put the fledgling association on the map and also to promote the florist business in general.
A year later, the association had as its goals to continue the annual flower show and to secure an “experimental range of glass” at College Station, now Texas A & M University.
Today the Texas State Florists' Association carries on a proud tradition of serving its members and the entire Texas floral industry with programs in floral design, business management, marketing and legislative and regulatory affairs. The group is truly one of the most effective state floral organizations in the country.
Source: The Society of American Florists
