Behind the Scenes: Locker's Florist

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- If you sent flowers to your special someone this Valentine's Day, you aren't alone. 

It's estimated that more than 250 million roses are produced every year, so we wondered what it takes for a local florist to get them to your door. 

CBS 58's Bill Walsh takes us behind the scenes at Locker's Florist in West Allis. 

Tucked in the heart of a West Allis industrial park, an oasis of delicate beauty. 

Locker's Florist has been in business for 113 years, but Kimberlee Grob has owned it since 2018. They are gearing up for the single biggest sales day of the year. 

"Overall deliveries for the 13th and 14th is several hundred," Grob said. 

They brought on extra staff, which includes the owner's mom, Judie. 

"She just is talented at this business," said Judie Benoit. 

The flowers, mostly roses, were shipped in from farms in Florida and California. When they arrive, the stems are cut. Then a plant food and water cocktail will keep them nourished until they are arranged. At that time, the stems might be cut again to fit the vase. 

"Knowing what your special someone's favorite color is, or flower, and then letting the designer put something together that's different from everyone else's in the office is a really great bonus," said Grob. 

Arranging flowers is an art, but running a flower business takes calculation. Most of the flowers delivered on Valentine's Day were purchased by customers the day before, but Grob had to order her stock from the supplier before Thanksgiving. 

"How many roses are we going to need this year? What did we sell last year? What are our customers going to purchase this time around?" said Grob. 

In the week up to Valentine's Day, about 3,000 roses are in this cooler, which is kept at -38 degrees. The temperature holds the flowers' shape. They don't want it to bloom until they get to you. 

For Locker's, the Valentine's Day rush is a family affair. 

Robert Blank will coordinate the contract drivers, hired just for the 13th and 14th, to get every bouquet there on time. There are a lot of chess pieces to move around the board. 

"They don't know we're coming, so it's a surprise element. We get to the person's house and they're not there...sometimes we have to go back two times to deliver it," said Robert. 

So, before flowers arrive at your door, there is a lot that happens behind the scenes. 

"We are on our feet for 12 hours a day," said Grob. 

But the people at Locker's say the meaning of Valentine's Day makes all of this hard work a labor of love.