operating officer of Jacobson Floral Supply in Boston. “Then you react as best you can.” There are also human errors, such as
the source sending the incorrect product, or weather conditions that lead to damaged or late products. With imported goods shipped by sea taking an average of 90 days to arrive at a domestic supplier, these delays can have a dramatic impact on how long an item is unavailable.
Preparedness Is Key To keep products flowing along the sup- ply chain, no matter the circumstance, floral suppliers often keep a few months
of imported inventory on hand, which buys them time to find new sources if needed. Suppliers usually have two or three backup sources they can turn to, either to serve as a stopgap while a tan- gle is sorted out or as a new permanent partner. Laura Walsh, AAF, PFCI, director
of marketing at Smithers-Oasis, says selecting trade partners is a process. While base price is a factor, as are related costs associated with tariffs and shipping, there’s more to consider, she says. Other factors include product quality, communication, reliability, and worker protections.
If a previously preferred partner starts
lagging in one of those departments, they’ll seek a new one, says Walsh. And if the cost of a product is higher than what the floral industry is willing to pay, they’ll stop carrying it altogether. Maintaining a diverse catalog also
helps ensure suppliers can meet cus- tomer needs if there is a disruption in the supply chain. “We have a tremendous number of
SKUs, so we always have an alternative for our customers,” Fronduto says.
Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
Ceramic vases Plastic sleeves
1. China $125,132,460
2. Mexico* $52,327,670
etherlands
3. Korea* $41,139,700
1. China $297,200,650
2. Vietnam $53,512,170
3. Mexico* $35,724,950
1 1 Ribbon
1. Taiwan $93,744,090
2. China $38,530,370
3. Korea* $19,599,800
Glass vases
1. China $405,023,420
2. India $33,075,900
3. Mexico* $26,533,360
2 China India 2 Vietnam 1 2 1 1 3 3 Taiwan Korea
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF)
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