Cooperative Living May 2020 - 14

YourBusiness | by Claire Mills and Alice Kemp, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Left, Stephen Shifflett
and Janet Cherchuck
of Floradise Orchids
in Orange County, Va.
An Orchid for
Every Occasion
T
here is no denying orchids are stunning plants. With a
vast array of colorful, exotic blooms appealing to a broad
audience, the unique plants are more popular than ever.
Surpassing poinsettias as the top-selling potted flower in the
U.S., orchids are a profitable business, especially when holidays
like Mother's Day place them in high demand. This shift has
allowed Virginia nurseries and greenhouses to branch out into
the $288 million orchid industry.
The orchid family has more species than any other plant
family in the world. Once rare and costly, orchids have become a
mass-market commodity sold in garden centers, big-box retailers
and grocery stores. Phalaenopsis, with its elegant, arching sprays
of blooms, is the most common potted orchid. Known as the
moth orchid, it is one of the hardiest and easy-to-grow species,
making it an ideal houseplant.
MOTHER'S DAY MUST-HAVES
Ben Van Wingerden, owner of Color Orchids in Culpeper
County, Va., sees a lot of potential in cultivating different varieties
of phalaenopsis and has been building a brand around that focus
since 2011.
" Orchids are a pretty dynamic product, " Van Wingerden says.
" There is a good marketing opportunity because of their appeal
and different types of products you can create. The grower is able
to control the blooming time. If you want to sell them during the
holidays, you can actually know when they will be blooming. "
Van Wingerden sells to grocery retailers and finds his location
to be an asset.
" Overall, demand in orchids has grown, and the quality we
produce is superior. That has driven us as a company, " he says.
" We are in a good spot in the middle of the East Coast, so that
has given us advantages. We've been able to be a local producer
for quite a few markets. "
Most of Color Orchids' business is in the first six months
of the year and represents 60% of the company's revenue. Van
12 | Cooperative Living | May 2020
Wingerden says Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are his biggest
money makers.
The entrepreneur, who saw his company grow 30% in 2019,
began an expansion into Texas. Expected to be completed by
October, he anticipates the expansion will drive Color Orchids
to sell more than 2 million of the 35 million orchids sold
nationwide.
OFFSHOOTS OF HEIRLOOMS
Floradise Orchids in Orange County, Va., has built a following
around personalized service to loyal customers and expert advice
on its broad range of orchids produced in limited quantities.
Husband-and-wife duo Janet Cherchuck and Stephen Shifflett
grow hundreds of specimen and heirloom orchids in the
company's 3,000-square-foot greenhouse. Their passion for the
flowering gems has fueled nearly 40 years in the orchid business.
" We were lucky to acquire a collection from a prominent local
orchid collector that formed the basis of our stock, " Cherchuck
says. " We've had some plants in our collection for 35 to 40 years
and sell divisions of that private stock. "
One plant in Floradise's collection, a lovely lady-slipper, dates
back to 1869. Offshoots of that beauty have been blooming for
more than 150 years.
Floradise trades mostly in direct sales from its greenhouse.
The service of creating custom arrangements in unique containers
also is flourishing.
" More and more of our business is contract delivery. We
provide orchid arrangements to restaurants, businesses and
private homes, " Cherchuck says.
Her customers seem to appreciate the advantage of orchids,
some of which can bloom for up to three months.
" One of the big selling points of orchids is how long they
stay in bloom, " she explains. " Even the ones that bloom for only
two or three weeks are still a better value than cut flowers
anybody could buy. " ■
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Cooperative Living May 2020

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