Member/Community News

Laura Kremp Key Account Specialist at Kremp Florist in Willow Grove, told 50 members of the Women’s Business Forum how she took risks to move ahead. After 12 years in the marketing field and much contemplation, she joined the family business and noted the importance of taking baby steps when faced with a big decision. . -- highlighted the company history and the key elements which led to their ability to weather industry changes. Laura emphasized that the realization that ‘no one can do it all’ and Kremp Florist began in the 1930s and expanded in the 1960s, acquiring both regional floral shops and greenhouses. Unfortunately, this period proved unwieldy and ultimately led to the family business separating in 1982. At this time, the four sons of Charles F. Kremp III, took on an active role in the business. They each focused on key elements of the business development: general management, grower, retail store management and IT. Kremp Florist faced a bigger challenge as the walk-in sales diminished as both big box stores and demand for internet orders increased. At this stage Charles F. Kremp III developed a broader reputation within the floral industry as an advisor and by participating in a key industry association, Society of American Florists At this stage, the company stopped buying retail stores and bought customer phone lists and accounts instead. This came with its own set of adjustments. To meet local expectations they provided: a lower delivery rate, a discount incentive and expanded the delivery range by adding both an additional driver and eco-friendly vans. Like Laura Kremp, Kemp Florist knows how to embrace change. And when faced with a big decision, she advised her audience to: ¨ Go out of your comfort zone ¨ Step outside of the box ¨ Ask for what you want ¨ Learn from your failures ¨ Don’t worry about what anybody thinks -- as evident by the initial criticism Kremp received on its website and now its site competes with Teleflora and FTD.