Society of American Florists' Roots Reach Deep Into Old Town

This is the first in a series of occasional articles highlighting the many associations located in Old Town Alexandria.

The Society of American Florists, which is located at 1601 Duke St., finds that Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are the busiest days of the year for its approximately 10,000 members.

For the florist industry, those days are a bit like Christmas and the Super Bowl combined.

“Our members average 20 percent of their annual business on Valentine’s Day,” Society Executive Director Peter Moran said.  

About 80 percent of the cut flowers sold in the United States come from Colombia and Ecuador via Miami, according to Moran. “In an average week we need 135 refrigeration trucks to handle demand around the country. In the two weeks before Valentine’s Day and the two before Mother’s Day, we need 800 per week.”

The association’s membership is made up of florists, growers and wholesalers, including 200 growers in Colombia and Ecuador.

The society has occupied its Duke Street location for more than a quarter century – in a spot formerly occupied by Herbie’s Used Cars. The society bought the dilapidated brick building on the property in early 1984 and spent a year renovating it and then moving into the space in December.  This was exactly one century after receiving a congressional charter establishing the society in 1884. 

The society bought the property because the early 1980s were a very good time to buy in Old Town, said Moran. The group had previously leased office space in an Old Town townhouse. “We were among the first wave of associations to move in around the King Street Metro,” Moran said, “and for many reasons it’s an ideal location for us.”

Moran says his members love the walkability of the city when they visit for board or committee meetings. Proximity to metro is also a plus, as it is a short ride to Reagan National Airport, and to Capitol Hill.

The society has a number of issues, both national and international, on its advocacy agenda. “The Colombia Free Trade Agreement is something we have been following closely,” Moran said. Another very active issue is the reauthorization of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act, under which the United States grants duty-free access to a wide range of exports from four Andean countries, including Columbia and Ecuador. The act encourages economic development to provide alternatives to cocaine production.

Closer to home, the group also focuses on tax issues, as most domestic floral business are family-owned. It keeps a keen eye on issues regarding the estate tax, under which estates are taxed when passed on to their heirs. Immigration issues are also important, as most of the flowers grown domestically for the cut flower market come from California, and the domestic industry is heavily dependent on migrant labor.

The society is active in the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, and while not involved in any other civic or neighborhood activities, Moran said: “I am a big believer in keeping our business as local as we can, so we always use local restaurants and hotels.”