FloraCraft is celebrating its 75th anniversary .
set up in 1946 , FloraCraft has grown from a small clientele in Ludington , Michigan , to a leader in the trade and flowered industries with more than 250 employees who provide American - made product to Walmart , Amazon , Michaels , JOANN , Hobby Lobby , and other leading retailers . Headquartered in Ludington , the troupe also has installation in Ontario , California , and Celaya , Mexico .
“ For 75 years , we have made it easy for crafters and florists everywhere to make beautiful things with our innovative product , ” said CEO Eric Erwin . “ As we celebrate our 75th anniversary with pride in our past , we also look eagerly to a bright future we will create together .
“ Being a family - owned and operate company , it ’s authoritative we honor our heritage and our team – past and present – and the Ludington residential district that has been with us every step of the way . ”
In 1946 , Leonard Schoenherr and Park Allensworth set up the Foliage Company of America in Ludington . Schoenherr ’s nephew and current FloraCraft chair , Lee Schoenherr , began working for the fellowship , pick local leaves , fern , sens , and flowers to be turn into dried floral arrangements – begin his entrepreneurial life and building the party into the industry loss leader it is today .
After suffice in the Army , espouse by a brief stint in enquiry and development at the Dow Chemical Company , Lee Schoenherr returned to his hometown permanently to work for the crime syndicate business . He bought the company from his uncle in 1974 , merging CustomFoam Crafts and the Foliage Company of America into a new society . A cracking marketer , he changed the company name to FloraCraft to better position its standing in both the flowered and guile industries .
“ I came back to study for the family business so we could expand the party across the country , ” say Schoenherr . “ Through multiple acquirement , we add content and client , solidifying our position as an manufacture drawing card in both the floral and craft markets .
“ My long - condition imaginativeness for the party was to batten down accounting with major internal retailers while remaining true to our hometown roots . Not only have we done that , but we ’ve also established ourselves as an system that cares about its citizenry , encourages everyone to explore their creativity , and spearheads innovation . ”
In the sixties , FloraCraft began expanding outside of Ludington , acquiring companies in Ohio , Arkansas , and Pennsylvania . The ship’s company continued to win other companies through the other 1990s in Illinois , Indiana , Minnesota , and New Jersey .
to boot , it expanded its production lines to create a house of blade that would do a wider variety of customers , from retail florists and household crafters . The society also added educational computer programing to assist seasoned creators expand their pattern and to inspire newbie with even more uses of its ware .
By 2006 , FloraCraft became the top froth fabricator for the craftiness and flowered industries in the United States .
“ Even as we began growing , our Ludington roots stay substantial and bass , ” said Erwin . “ We continue to blow up our surgery and have keep that same doctrine , making uppercase investments right here in Ludington .
“ We also consider in giving back to our community by bear the artistic creation , education , athletics , and other initiatives . We ’ll keep to do that far into our hereafter to make Ludington a marvellous place to live , work and evoke a family . ”
In 2018 , Schoenherr decided to make his most thoughtful gift of all to abide by the companionship ’s workforce by give more than 200 employees nearly $ 4 million in 401(k ) contributions and cash benefits during FloraCraft ’s holiday party – a motion that come across internationally as media outlets around the world shared the news .
Over the last three geezerhood , FloraCraft has made strides in creating and implementing new and innovative products and practices to stay true to its industry - leading identity .
In 2019 , FloraCraft began make its floral and guile foams in - menage , reject the need for a third - company provider . This upright integration helped the company uphold expectant quality control of its product , protect Michigan manufacturing jobs , and boil down the society ’s carbon step by eliminating nearly 400,000 naut mi of hand truck traffic each class from its former supplier to its headquarters . That same year , the ship’s company also added a 27,000 - straight - foundation shipping and statistical distribution kernel boast eight merchant vessels bay , new state - of - the - art automation , and expanded publicity channel .
In 2020 , the maker debut FōM ™ with PolyRenew ® , the food market ’s first environmentally conscious trade and flowered foam material made with recycled material . The breakthrough intersection saves hard - to - recycle plastics from landfills and mingle it with pure raw materials , allow the company to make the same amount of product it usually does but eliminate the equivalent weight of nearly 1,000 international nautical mile of plastic per year . Since FōM ’s launch , FloraCraft has get three national awards for design and sustainability from the National Association of Manufacturers , Stevie ® Awards , and Edison Awards .
“ What has always made us so successful is our team , who has been lively , nimble , consecrate , innovative , and passionate about the merchandise we make – and the impingement they have , ” Erwin said . “ It ’s truly been a pleasance to see our organization grow from our humble beginnings in Ludington to being a planetary leader – all while protecting American jobs by maintaining our independence as a locally own and manoeuvre Michigan company . ”
For more selective information : FloraCraftwww.floracraft.com
