I hope this update finds you relishing the last weeks of summer and flat out ignoring the other “S” word that will be upon all of us soon enough.
The crew here is finishing up most of the infrastructure work we take on at this time of year. Robin and Gabe have done an amazing job with the Design Studio, and the attention right now is on lighting and finishing touches. Again, this space is meant to welcome you in and encourage you to get creative with products and arrangements that will work best for you and your consumers. If anyone can find the best lighting for that, it’s Robin and Gabe.
Several of us remain in travel mode. Marco Rivera’s Sales Team has been out and about all summer visiting face-to-face with clients and gaining a greater understanding of how we work together so everyone wins. He’s gained all kinds of ideas and insights from your generous, thoughtful conversations, and I can’t wait to see how that translates into fall projects and programs.
Aaron Motola, April Harrell, Todd Thornton, and myself traveled northern California this week to meet with our seed hybridizer and gauge our progress toward the natural red and white Sunflowers we are working hard to secure. It's a long process and our team remains determined and focus to keep improving vase life and colors of our signature sunflowers.
On Saturday, May 5, the Dos Gringos Team set a new record for the largest sales volume in a single day. This also was the day that “I’ll Have Another” won the 2012 Kentucky Derby, so we’ll celebrate in style at the Del Mar Race Track with “DG Day at the Races” on Aug. 17.
When we return to work the following Monday, our fall focus takes center stage. The autumn months are an ideal showcase for Dos Gringos’ quality and expertise. We’ve got the product, the design and the drive to make this season shine. To that end, we’re forecasting for Sunflowers from mid-November through mid-January, and we’re putting the finishing touches on fall crops and harvest schedules to ensure we meet all of our commitments. Later in August we’ll start booking deadlines for “Just Add Roses” for Valentine’s Day.
Summer’s not summer without family time, right? July and August include some fun milestones for my crew, and we always take advantage of the opportunity to get together. We were fortunate to celebrate my Mom’s 70th birthday in July with a long weekend in Denver. Annie and Jack were blown away by Uncle D’s downtown bachelor pad and how hip he is compared to their own Mom and Dad. Sigh.
This month brings Jack’s 6th birthday and a one-week stay for Annie and Jack at “Camp Grandma & Grandpa” in Moline, Illinois to round out the summer.
