Let's Go Midland: Smith's Flowers and Gifts

"You are so involved with families, it's almost like an extension of your own."

"Trial and failure is a presence in any small business, but if you learn a lesson, it's worth it."

-Mark Smith

Mark Smith could have talked for days about his family's passion and history. He exuded joy and looked off pensively as he recounted stories of Smith's Flowers' (almost) 70 year history. He discussed how fortunate they are to touch people's lives at a time when they need love, joy and uplifting. "You are so involved with families, it's almost like an extension of your own." "We are involved in all the important aspects of peoples lives - all celebrations: births, weddings and funerals (celebrations of life)." The Smiths feel blessed that people have allowed them this honor. This is something small businesses offer that their big box competitors simply cannot match.

It all began with Rolland Smith who worked at the Ford Plant in Detroit. Rolland had a passion for growing. In fact, he would sell his delphiniums to flower shops down river. Rolland's mother lived in Midland, where the family decided to open up shop. In May of 1948, Smith's Flowers was born in a building just behind their current location. Mark said he remembers his dad, Donald, telling him they would just play cards that first summer because they had not much else to do yet.

Mark literally grew up in this building. His dad was 18 when they moved up to Midland. Rolland still worked at Ford and came up to Midland on the weekends, so his Dad and Grandma mainly ran the shop. Mark remarked that his Grandma went to floral design school, but he never once saw her design. When I asked what she did he said, "she was the buyer and (through a chuckle) the heavy hand."

Smith's was the second flower shop in town, behind Lapelle's which was part of a funeral home at the time. It was the tragic plane crash in 1949 which took the lives of Willard H. Dow, his wife and three others, that brought Smith's Flowers into the fold. The Dow family became good customers from then on. One day while visiting Alden Dow's Post Street home, Alden said to Rolland and Donald Smith, "someday I'm going to design you a building", and that he did. The building they still occupy today was opened to the pubic in May 1956, one week before Mother's Day.

The building is nearly the same today as it was then, with a few exceptions. The wall color is no longer original and the bright green carpet was originally pea gravel, which did not mix well with the typical lady's fashion of the time. The mid-century modern façade hints at the building's style and once you enter, it does not disappoint. It's as if the building is somehow bigger inside. If you enter the Ashman Street side, you see the unique staircase and hear the serene babbling fountain which sits inside of a koi pond. Contrasts of curved lines and straight edges make you appreciate the conventions of architecture mixed with nature, which was Dow's signature. A business building cannot commune with nature amid a concrete exterior, but when that business is nature, it brings what is normally outside, in.

Before the bigger box merchants entered the scene, Smith's was also a small department store carrying high-end goods such as cookware, linens, towels, diamonds, gold, jewelry, and collectibles. They also carried German stereo equipment and were the first Sony dealership in Michigan. Today, they are proud to carry unique gifts from local artists and business owners on consignment in "The Circle Gallery". They also carry gifts for any occasion: dream catchers, picture frames, vases, stuffed animals, baby gifts, candles, art, table décor, serving trays, blown glass, original art and signs. For those of you with a brown thumb, they even have artificial flowers and plants.

What sets them apart? They try to be the best. Mark initially joked "arrogance", but thought about it and retracted the joke. "Every small business owner needs some arrogance to fight the fight." They are the oldest family owned flower business in town. In fact, they have been a training ground for some of their counterparts. Smith's strives to say 'yes', to go out of their way to make the customer happy, even if they don't make a good market rate. "If we can solve their problem, we will at least attempt to do it."

Challenges? Mark didn't hesitate to say 'family'. This is a holiday industry, so there are 3-week stretches where they don't see family around the holidays. During Valentines they didn't leave the shop for 3 days straight. Not only does Mark recall that his dad was, always at work, he was the same. He has been slowly passing the reins to his daughters, stating he will never be too far away. He remarked that his daughters are really good floral designers and really great people. All in the family, 88-year-old Donald still helps during busy seasons.

Like most small businesses, the Smiths must wear multiple hats at the same time: design, plan, inventory and tech. They cannot compete on price with the big box stores, but they can compete when it comes to quality. People will call to price check, but they aren't asking the real questions when it comes to quality, like how the flowers are processed and stored. "People think a flower is a flower and it's not," said Mark, "that is like saying hamburger and filet mignon are the same." "We pay a lot of attention" Mark posited, "when your name's on the building, maybe you pay more attention to every aspect."

When pondering his competitors, he had this to say: "we are seven businesses doing the same thing seven different way, we have our favorite flowers, our favorite styles."

I asked Mark what his favorite flower was, perhaps my most difficult question. He could have given me a list. He conceded that 5+ years ago it was a Gerbera Daisy and that was kind of the theme flower for the shop. Currently, number one on his list is the hydrangea because it's unique.

Mark is also an orchid collector. I couldn't help but ask if they are difficult and delicate. No!(This brown thumbed writer is thrilled.) He once told a customer with an orchid she was 'killing it with kindness' and she shouldn't water it so much. He even used to have an orchid in the bathroom that he didn't water for three years (don't misunderstand, it got plenty of moisture in there).

Mark's absolute favorite part of the business, "the way I've changed, or maybe, the way the business has changed me." "Trial and failure is a presence in any small business, but if you learn a lesson, it's worth it." Mark used to avoid customers. He could hide in the back with his flowers. Over the last 10-15 years teaching his daughters morphed into teaching his customers and has become his favorite thing to do. He also enjoys teaching and sharing with garden clubs, walk-ins, kindergarten classes and girl scout troops. He used to kind of feel like if he shared secrets, he was giving up control, but learned that teaching is a way to share joy. The only way to impart this love into other people and keep the passion going is to share it with them.

A theme that carried through Smith's long history and perhaps contributed to it, is their ability to adapt to changing times while maintaining a respect for the past. They cannot count on 300 Easter corsages like they once could, only 3 this year. They dabbled in coffee and were successful but they were a bit ahead of the current coffee boom. They didn't have a drive up window and eventually they realized they should just focus on flowers. Once catering to the upper echelons with their department store appeal and clientele, Smith's is working on outgrowing a reputation for being the most expensive in town. Being floral focused is one of the ways they are working to continually change that perception. The last 10 years the gift industry has changed so much that dabbling no longer serves the business well and so Mark and family have focused on the flowers and plants and things that go with them.

He couldn't really pin down a favorite event they have been involved with and was sensitive to client privacy, but he did share that his favorite was just being involved with the Midland families for so long; their longest standing event is the Dow Stockholder Meeting, 69 years now.

Smith's is Midland, Michigan's "oldest, yet most progressive", full service, family owned and operated florist. They deliver daily to all Midland, Sanford, Freeland and Auburn, Michigan, including the Dow Chemical Global Headquarters and corporate offices, including BBC and plant locations. Smith's takes great pride in providing the highest quality fresh products available, and service beyond compare.