Hola, and Happy Holidays to all! On behalf of the entire Dos Gringos Team, I wish you and yours a warm, wonderful season filled with joy and flowers! Our glad tidings are arriving a little later in the month than I prefer, as we have been nose to the grindstone since winter arrived. The team and I decided to hit the road this month to catch up in person with clients in New York, Ohio, California, Utah and Illinois. Conversations have been incredibly productive, and our team is bringing back plenty of confidence to hit the ground running with in 2015.  This experience will offer improvements and initiatives aimed at client satisfaction for the entire year..  I shared much of your feedback with the Dos Gringos team when we gathered on December 11th for our annual Holiday Luncheon and Town Hall Meeting here in the Design Studio. I assure you that each team member is inspired and excited to do whatever it takes to enhance the experience of working at Dos Gringos and with you.  This includes ensuring that their work supports our strategic pillars of People, Freshness, Innovation, and Growth. We also spent time recognizing the hard work and highlights of 2014, which include:

Look for us in early 2015 to make strides in streamlining and accelerating the flower flow process from Ranch to Retail: -  Optimizing our logistics resources -  Minimizing production dips -  Increasing our product development pipeline for new seeds and designs.  Your input and feedback on any or all these are welcome and appreciated.   Until then, enjoy friends and family and try to sneak in at least a little R&R.   Happy New Year!     ______________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mea culpa. This issue of The Dirt begins with one big apology. Several of our valuable clients were very disappointed by our Sunflower dip in production we experienced during Week #40 and part of #41.  One of our top initiatives is to move seamlessly from the production of our spring/summer growing regions (instead of “pushing” them to perform further and compromising quality) into production at our fall/winter sites. We work at this all year long. While we shipped close to flawlessly almost every week in 2014 so far, we did have a hiccup in October that left clients without all the Sunflowers they expected. That’s not o.k., and I assure you we’ll do everything in our power to avoid it in the future.  The PMA show in October gave me the opportunity to explain the gap to some clients in person. Call me 24/7 if you want further explanation or want to hear from me personally on what our plan is for 2015. PMA was a great venue for sharing some of our latest and greatest ideas and innovations – "Copper Suns" and the “Happy Day” bouquets were big hits -- during a very solid Saturday on the show floor. Special thanks to those of you who attended our Happy Hour event at Morton’s. The team and I appreciate your time, interest, and feedback!          We returned from Anaheim to late fall/winter production in full swing, and we are really looking forward to an outstanding Thanksgiving.  So far, we are on plan and have had yields on or above forecast for Weeks 42, 43, and 44.. While Pumpkin Trees and Marigolds wind down for the year, autumn Sunflowers and the usual fall staples are gorgeous and meeting demand. We’re running double shifts from Oct. 27 through the Thanksgiving shipping period and extended office hours begin Nov. 13. Check out these two featured bouquets to the left.

Strategic planning is on the calendar as well. In addition to new, smarter approaches to preventing the fall dip, we’ll start tackling long-term questions about differentiation and a business model that can’t easily be duplicated – all so we can continue to give you the best flower-buying experience at the best possible prices.   In the meantime, on behalf of everyone at Dos Gringos, thank you for choosing and partnering with us, and have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving!     50k Run Stats: Time:  5 hours 25 minutes. Finished #15 of 200 in age group.   ______________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Dirt - October 2014

Hola! I hope the start of another school year has been a happy and stress-free time for all!  As students of all ages settle into classrooms across the country, the team at Dos Gringos is preparing for the busy autumn ahead. We love this time of year, largely because it showcases what differentiates us from other growers -- rich, deep red, brown, orange, and golden hues offset by lush California greens that you just don’t find everywhere else.  Pumpkin Tree is as gorgeous as I’ve ever seen it, and our Autumn selection of Mason Jar arrangements are stunning.  Don’t miss a chance to check them out and to offer them to your customers as an ideal Halloween accent. At Dos Gringos, we are loving the sales-driving surge of interest and excitement around Dia de los Muertos (Nov. 1).  Our orange African Marigolds are perfect for home décor and culinary displays as families and friends gather to celebrate this festive occasion. This year’s harvest is fantastic, and the stems are going out just as quickly as we get them in! We expect an ample, healthy supply through October.        We continue to develop and build our booth for the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit Convention and Expo Oct. 17-19.  Spoiler Alert: A new product for 2015 will be “in the house.”  We look forward to seeing those of you who plan to attend.  Don’t miss Booth #4374, where a picnic-style theme will bring us all together to relax in Dos Gringos’ “backyard.”  Here you can enjoy our latest and greatest one-of-a-kind bouquets, while we discuss what we can do to create and develop better solutions for your business.  For us, it's about working with you to achieve positive results.  Marco Rivera, Robin Mooney, Jennifer Flores, Gabby Mercado and Jenny Butterfass will all be with me in Anaheim.  Come by to catch up! November and December will bring to focus strategic planning and budgeting for 2015.  We will be taking some time to refresh the Dos Gringos brand pillars – People, Freshness, and Innovation.  We also plan to look with fresh eyes at the questions: What are we missing or overlooking? How do we permanently fix our reoccurring production dip in early fall?   As we strive to provide smiles and “affordable luxury”, we know fresh, gorgeous flowers can bring joy to so many.  What other “things” can we do to grow our business and continue to earn your partnership? I know my team is up for this challenge, and we will let you know ASAPwhere this great discussion takes us. Until then, enjoy this beautiful, bountiful time of year and know that Dos Gringos will be ready to finish 2015 strong for the year-end holidays! ______________________________________

The Dirt - September 2014

Hola! The students are back in school and we, at Dos Gringos, are back to work in full force.  We are enthusiastic about our fascinating fall line up and we want to help you put them on every autumn table in North America.   Pumpkin Trees are here!  This funky, orange relative of the eggplant family is one of our most popular fall items!  These tall stems of mini-pumpkins are a great conversation piece as a stand-alone item in a vase and also add a true sense of fall when included in our bouquets.  Hurry!  Pumpkin Trees do not last long.  Check out Pumpkin Trees in action in our lobby.          We grow our African Marigolds in two colors:  vibrant yellow and deep orange.  The official flower of Dia De Los Muertos really helps our fall bouquet line up shine. Did you know wineries plant Marigolds to ward of pests, big and small?  Even the deer despise them, but we don’t because they make our fall bouquets pop.         Check out some examples below and to the left.                                  Speaking of wine….Safari Sunset’s deep wine color is another enhancement to our fall bouquets.  The flowers are actually a cone surrounded by large, burgundy bracts – much like bougainvillea.  They are one of the oldest known flowers and even look great when dried. Stop by and see us in our “California Backyard” themed booth (#4374) at the Produce Marketing Association show running October 18th and 19th.  There you will get the opportunity to preview some innovative, new products scheduled for release in 2015.  (Almost here!)  We will also be featuring the new designs for our very popular Mason Jar line and our best-selling Bright and Beautiful bouquet. So stop by, we’d love to catch up with you.   ______________________________________ _________________________________________________________

DG Dirt - August 2014

Hola! Mason Jar Merchandising is on our minds! Last month we launched the Dos Gringos Mason Jar Collection.  This collection features a set of simple, fuss-free arrangements that let Sunflowers, unique greens and fillers shine in a charming, chic way. As consumers respond to the “affordable luxury” associated with this trend, the collection is driving impulse sales and reducing time and labor for floral departments. We love the potential this line holds and we're seeing growth in new purchase orders -- but our work isn’t finished yet. One of the biggest advantages we offer clients is partnership and our willingness to tackle challenges together. We’ve spent a good deal of time in stores the past several weeks to develop out the best practices for merchandising the DG Mason Jar Collection. The sooner consumers can get the jars home – or wherever they plan to enjoy them -- the longer they’ll have to bask in the beauty of bold Sunflowers, greens and fillers. Click the button below for Mason Jar Merchandizing ideas August is filled with quite a bit of travel. Colorado, Texas, and Missouri are all destinations for the DG team. We have several Sunflower promotions currently running, and we look forward to touching base with some long-time clients to see how things are going and how we can further help them. The Produce Marketing Association show, October 18-19, is also on our calendar! We look forward to putting our best flowers forward to help you plan for a successful year-end 2014. Please let us know if there’s something in particular we can do to help your business.   Every time you buy flowers from Dos Gringos, I want that experience to be remarkable. We go to great lengths to plant, grow, and harvest the healthiest, most beautiful items from seed to sale, and I am always prepared to stand by our product quality – but that’s only half the equation. Having a great team is equally important, and I am convinced that “great” means healthy and happy. More and more companies are investing in Team Member well-being, and Dos Gringos is no exception. Check out how it pays off!  The DG Wellness Program focused on physical health Jan-June. Lucy Vazquez embraced a 12-week weight loss challenge and shed over 50 lbs. Way to go, Lucy! Tell us about it. Tell us a little bit about yourself. As one of fourteen children, I have been working since a young age when I pitched in to help out my family.  Fortunately, I came to the attention of a good teacher who assisted me in continuing my education.  One of my early jobs was actually cleaning the classrooms.  I also worked at a sewing factory. I followed my older sister to New York when I was 17 years old and worked there and in Nevada.  I was fortunate enough to meet my husband while I was living in New York and we are the proud parents of 3 children – an 8 year old son, and 4 year old and 2 year old daughters. Q. How long have you been with Dos Gringos and in what positions? A. I have been here for 6 years and I have rotated through a number of different positions including packing, box assembly and e-commerce.  Right now I am in the packing department. Q. What is your favorite part of your position? A. Quality is very important to me.  Not only the quality of the flowers and bouquets but also insuring that they are packed carefully to insure they arrive in perfect condition so that our clients are very happy with what they receive. Q. What is your favorite flower? A. I love all flowers!  That is part of the reason I work here. Q. What are you most excited about looking into the future? A. With everything I have learned at Dos Gringos, I hope to someday open my own design -related business. Mental wellness matters, too. The second half of 2014 includes a weekly on-site Mindfulness Seminar about how to be fully present in every interaction. When we say we’re there for you, we’re truly there! Speaking of mental health, we’ll be sending kids back to school before we know it.  Grab every opportunity to make the most of summer while it’s here – and don’t forget the flowers! ______________________________________