The Dirt - December 2012

Hola Everyone and Feliz Navidad! I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying this festive season and the business success you’ve worked hard all year to ensure. To the extent that Dos Gringos products and programs have helped keep your customers coming back for more or have brought you new customers intrigued by and/or in love with the California look, I’m thrilled. I hope you’ll continue to let us know how we can be the best partner possible. Here in Vista, Thanksgiving operations went smoothly with a few snags towards the end. The few snags proved to be a great reminder of the power of proper planning and planting. If you’ve been with Dos Gringos for any length of time, you know we’re sticklers for planning and planting. We were a little under planted toward the last days of shipping. In the true dg way we got creative and got through it. My beloved Grandma Jennie passed away on Thanksgiving Day. Throughout my childhood she and my Grandpa Jack, rest his soul, owned and operated clothing stores in Illinois. They both had a huge influence on my life, personally and professionally. I try everyday to emulate their integrity, perseverance and good humor. I returned from Jennie's beautiful funeral just in time to celebrate Annie’s beautiful 11th birthday. The circle of life is a good, if sometimes painful, thing. Hot off the drawing board, our innovative Country Christmas line is making waves in a number of markets.  Mason jars filled with pine cones, Christmas greens, and florals and accented with a charming touch of raffia make great gifts for teachers, holiday hosts, that wonderful neighbor who so deserves a token of appreciation.  We're shipping them in boxes ready to set for display, but we're also hearing from floral managers that they really spice up the area when scattered about.  No two look the same, we we encourage you to have some fun with them and let customers see the difference for themselves.  Metallics are fun and festive as well.  Gold Lemon Leaf and Seeded Eucalyptus and silver Bear Grass add instant glam to already beautiful arrangements.  We've come a long way since our initial move to Metallics for the holidays, and I love what I've seen this year. This month our Leadership Team will get away for a few days to focus on strategy and plans for 2013 and beyond. We’ll look at challenges and opportunities, strengths and weaknesses, trends and solutions. The goal will be to arrive at three initiatives we can tackle and make some headway on in 2013. While I never truly don’t know where we’ll land, I can tell you that a framework for the discussion will be the following three themes: Freshness  (how can we make your flowers last longer) Wellness  (healthy team = healthy company with a healthy future) Competitiveness (delivering products, programs, and an experience you can’t find elsewhere) Next week brings our Holiday Lunch for the entire team here in Vista. It’s always a wonderful time and a terrific opportunity to celebrate the sheer joy of being together. This team takes it commitment to you, our partners, very seriously. We know we have to earn your business each and every day, with each and every order. We never forget that, especially as we reflect on the past year and ring in a new one. I hope your December has its share of reflection and revelry as well. Team gathers for the shower and Jason and Raul at "Diapers for Dads" shower. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Dirt - November 2012

To all of our friends and colleagues who were in Hurricane Sandy’s path, please know that the DG team is thinking of you and wishing you a swift recovery and recuperation. As always, if there’s anything we can do to help, I hope you'll let us know. A belated Happy Halloween to all. As you can see from the pics, we had more Team Members in costumes this year than ever before. We had a lot of fun, too. It was a great day in southern California, and I was reminded again how fortunate I am to work with such an engaged, creative group of people who work and play with passion. Despite my “Clueless Tourist in Miami” get-up, I learn something new every day, and I couldn’t ask for better team members in bringing the DG vision to life. Halloween week ended with a quick trip to my alma mater, Michigan State. I was honored that the MBA class at The Eli Broad College of Business invited me to come back and speak. I also thought it would be a great way to get a little one on one time with my son Jack (6) who traveled with me. Of course, since I just happened to be back there, I took in an exhibition basketball game with Jack and my parents (not 6), and cheered wildly for the Spartans as our football team fell to Nebraska 28-24. It was great to reconnect with my Spartan Roots. I returned to Vista to find everyone in full-fledged Thanksgiving mode. We’ll be working feverishly in the next two weeks to ship Sunflowers and Sunflower bouquets and seasonal favorites Pumpkin Tree, Eucalyptus and Sage around the country to make this holiday bright. Our Miami satellite is helping immensely with east coast distribution, and all systems are “Go.” We’ll have all hands on deck leading up to Nov. 22! November and December, of course, are filled with family-focused events and gatherings big and small. And Dos Gringos holiday crops are just the thing for that fancy, festive look and feel. It’s our passion to remind the world that every event, every gathering, every gift gets better with flowers. It’s our obsession to make flowers from Dos Gringos better than anyone else’s. I am very excited about our Dos Gringos metallics for December. Our color-enhance team has poured a lot of hard work and creativity into this line, and it shows. The whole line really sets itself apart, and it’s one of those important, innovative things we continue to do to improve the customer experience and to keep consumers coming back for more. If you haven’t seen a metallic twist in an arrangement or bouquet, I encourage you to have a look -- and to share the joy with your end users! Happy Thanksgiving to all. Let the holidays begin – and let the halls be decked with unique flowers that are always Different by Design.™

- - - - - - - - -

The Dirt - October 2012

The news from Vista this month is big and exciting, but the action is more than 2500 miles away. Lights are on, state-of-the-art refrigeration and production equipment is up and running, and members of our team are settling in at DG East in Miami! That’s right. The California look and feel that’s been so well-received around the United States is easier for our east coast clients to access and maintain as we throw open a full-service satellite operation in Doral. The “To Do” list is significant, but we are in our element. Who better than DG to break this ground and put this value-added center smack dab in a transportation hub that makes perfect sense for clients? I am in Miami this week with Marco Rivera and other members of the Sales Team as we meet with customers and spread the word. And I am thrilled to introduce you to Phil Buran, hand-picked very carefully by yours truly to lead and oversee our day-to-day operations in Miami. A 38-year veteran of the industry, Phil began his career with bouquet maker TR Tropical in Carlsbad, CA. He was front and center when Columbian flowers arrived on the scene in the early 1980s, and he was one of the first to imagine and experiment with the South America/California concoction. Falcon Farms, Brothers Brothers and Monterey Bay Bouquet (his own company) also benefited from Phil’s experience and expertise.  With Phil’s background and DG West as a 24 year tested and proven model, we will not waste time reinventing the wheel. We’ve spent years carving our unique niche in the marketplace, growing and sourcing California flowers for the increasing number of people who love that look. DG East is a logical, strategic step in the next direction. South American product already arrives here regularly, and we have agreements with several strategic partners who can fill our coolers within the next week to 10 days. Phil is working with Gabe Gill, our DG West Plant Manager to replicate production best practices, and the IT infrastructure will be consistent across both facilities. More importantly, Phil is a huge advocate of the DG culture and the value we’ve always placed on relationships. The way he sees it, DG East adds the sizzle so many of our clients in this region have clamored for. “Many of Dos Gringos’ big east coast grocery clients run a lot of transportation out of Miami. They’ve got established truck routes with stops to pick up any number of products. With a simple adjustment in logistics, they can get their DG flowers faster and more efficiently than ever before. We’re meeting them right where they are. They’re already picking up meat and potatoes. We’re adding the spice and putting it right within reach.”

Much more to come as DG East blooms and grows. I want to thank the entire team for all the hard work and commitment to getting it up and running. I can’t wait to see what’s next. Thank you, too, to all of our customers for your business, your friendship, and the push to open up this facility. We listened!   A Special Congratulations to Beto and 15 years with the DG Family! When Beto isn’t driving the DG trucks loaded with flowers, he enjoys spending time with his daughter, playing soccer and going to the movies.  His favorite holiday is Christmas and his favorite food is pizza. - - - - - - - -

The Dirt - September

This is it, gang.  It's go time. Fall is in the air, football’s on TV, and the time when DG puts its best foot forward.  On the heels of an inspiring visit last month to see 3,000 trial beds of Sunflowers, we are fired up to deliver the variety and color, the single items and arrangements and the creative plans and programs you’ve come to expect from us.  I invite and encourage you to get in on the fun and see how we can work together. Let’s capitalize on this short but unique time of year when deep, rich autumnal hues and interesting green grasses and stems capture consumers’ imaginations and draw them indoors for warmth and wellbeing. Marco Rivera and our Sales Team are all over this plan.  Marco heads to Chicago early this month to reinforce our fall flare for some very important partners.  Later he’ll lead a team through visits to the Northeast and the Midwest as they firm up fall designs and plans and begin planning for 2013.  The goal, of course, is to be proactive about what’s on the horizon for our partners and to be strategic and specific about how we can drive success for your business.  Business Development Managers also will travel to accounts in Utah, Texas, Georgia and Arizona to share product knowledge and ensure a successful fall season. Go, Team, go! I’m staying put in Vista most of this month, so please reach out with any questions, suggestions or fabulous ideas that bring more flowers to more people.  Annie just started fifth grade, and Jack is in Kindergarten.  He wants to know when Melissa and I are going to learn all the neat things his teacher knows.  Good question. I hope the “flip” from summer to fall is great for all of us!

Meals on Wheels and their amazing accomplishments have been a presence in my life for many years. Growing up in Moline, Illinois, my mother was a volunteer and I often accompanied her on deliveries. It was a moving experience for me even as a child and of course my Mom made sure to point out how grateful everyone on her route was to see us. Fast forward 15 years. After university, I moved to San Diego and through a lot of luck and a little hard work, I became the owner of a flower company – Dos Gringos. Our mission is to bring smiles to millions. We accomplish this by growing and assembling bouquets for over 10,000 grocery stores in the United States and Canada. Mother Nature has her own schedule some years and in1995 I found myself with an abundance of Sunflowers, our signature flower. I wanted to donate them instead of throwing them away and the first organization that came to my mind was Meals-on-Wheels Greater San Diego. So I donated everything I had extra to them in the form of bouquets. A few days later a call was put through to me. The lovely lady on the other end was crying. It turns out she was an 84 year-old-recipient of Meals-on-Wheels and this was the first time in her life she had EVER received flowers. That was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between Meals-on-Wheels and Dos Gringos. Today, we are honored to provide every North County Meals-On-Wheels recipient with a bouquet on his or her birthday. In addition, we donate the flowers for all the hard-working volunteers at their annual luncheon, for “Suns for Seniors” events around town and for a number of other fundraisers that Meals-on-Wheels puts on throughout the year, most recently, the Boogleggers’ Ball. Giving back is an important part of mine and the lives of my teammates at Dos Gringos’ and Meals-on-Wheels is the perfect partner in this endeavor. Oh and I almost forgot to mention. After providing me with The George A. Scott Award* in 2008, they also graciously asked if I would sit on their Board. Needless to say, I said yes. Now I get a chance to not only donate flowers but also my brain. I love the Meals-on-Wheels and everything they stand for!

- - - - - - - - - 

The Dirt - August Issue

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.

- - - - - - - 

-