Orchid Business Thriving in Florida
Boca Raton resident Shari Weidenbaum would rather spend money pampering her orchids than herself.
"I will spend that extra $50 to $100 on my orchids instead of saving up for a new pair of shoes. I don't need that lipstick or extra special hair treatment. I want to make sure that orchid is happy," said the hobbyist, a former dental hygienist who has close to 300 orchids
Hyla Levine, co-owner of Green Barn Orchid Supplies in Delray Beach, said she has plenty of customers like Weidenbaum who are helping her business thrive despite difficult economic times.
"They will give up another luxury before they give up caring for their plants," said Levine, who co-owns the 6-year-old business operating out of a 60-year-old former horse barn with Lynn Lappin. Lappin also owns Elegant Orchids, a 20-year-old nursery and design shop on the same property. Levine, who has grown orchids for about 15 years, spotted the orchid supply niche after she had a difficult time finding items she needed, such as pots, baskets, chemicals, wire products and potting mixes.
"I started it because as a hobbyist, I couldn't get supplies. You had to wait for a show to come," Levine said.
There are a limited number of companies which specialize in orchid supplies, and only five are in Florida, Levine said. The company carries 600 or so different items, from shade cloth to coconut liners and 42 sizes of baskets. Green Barn even has an on-site welder who makes aluminum orchid benches, which are tiered, like a baker's rack.
About half of Green Barn's more than $100,000 a year in sales comes from walk-in customers. The other half is generated by Internet sales thorough its www.greenbarnorchid.com site. It also sells items for hydroponic and bonsai growing.
"People order supplies from as far away as New Zealand. I have regular Alaska customers. Customers range from 13-year-old boys to 90-year-old women. You can't imagine the variety of people," Levine said.
Levine also holds free classes on orchid growing on the weekends.
Weidenbaum said Levine's knowledge about orchids keeps customers coming back. "She has the best inventory of merchandise anybody could ever hope to have. What is even more exciting about Hyla is she is full of mounds of information," Weidenbaum said. "No question is too small. She loves what she does."
Courtesy http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2009/01/12/a3f_orchids_0112.html