Florist expands delivery to Cincy, plans for Toledo

By Jim Bohman
jbohman@DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON | Oberer’s Flowers, southwest Ohio’s largest florist with $8 million in sales and a fleet of trucks, is reaching into Cincinnati to grow the business.

Oberer’s has started daily delivery of flowers to greater Cincinnati from its Dayton headquarters at Troy Street and Stanley Avenue.

The company eventually will sell flowers directly to retail customers in Columbus, Indianapolis, Lima and Toledo, according to Randy Oberer, a vice president of the family-owned company.

Instead of opening branch operations in those cities, Oberer’s will do all of the packaging, processing and shipping of floral orders from its 60,000-square-foot plant on six acres in Dayton, he said.

The family views the sprawling Cincinnati market as a growth opportunity, Oberer said. The retailer is approaching saturation in Dayton where some 40 florists compete.

Oberer’s now provides flowers for more than 500 weddings annually with orders ranging from $100 to $20,000.

Customers who work in Dayton and live in Cincinnati have asked for Cincinnati deliveries, Oberer said. "We’re already reaching close to Cincinnati."

Oberer’s Flowers, which dates to a fruit and vegetable farm in the 1890s, has a staff of 75 and 20 delivery trucks.

Oberer said more employees and vehicles will be added as the business expands.

Eventually, the company will open a transfer station in Cincinnati to coordinate delivery of flowers packaged in Dayton, said Robert Spikol, an executive recently recruited from a large New Jersey florist.

Spikol said the company has launched an advertising campaign using TV, radio, newspapers and Yellow Pages to familiarize the Cincinnati market with the Oberer’s name.

The Dayton company will face off against more than 100 Hamilton County florists topped by market leaders Jones The Florist and Adrian Durban Florists.

Oberer’s Flowers is a fourth generation business.

Richard Oberer, 71, is president, but no longer active in the company. His wife, Ann, 69, is secretary-treasurer and will retire this month.

Their children, Rhonda Dunn, 43, and Randy, 40, manage the business.

Other executives include Mike Dunn, Rhonda’s spouse; Craig Casey, sales manager; Jerry Wahl, Eunice Monita, Dan Lockhart and Rick Hardin.

Greg Turner heads Internet operations for oberers.com.

Ann Oberer said the company handles more than 400 orders daily from customers sending flowers locally and to points around the United States.

She said Teleflora, a national delivery service, ranks Oberer’s among the top 30 florists in the nation.

The company laid the groundwork for the current expansion in 1996 when it completed a $2 million renovation that rebuilt its production facilities and retail headquarters.

Oberer’s stocks more than 250 varieties of fresh flowers and more than 15 colors of roses daily and sells a million roses annually, Spikol said.

Many flowers are imported from Central and South America, Hawaii and Asia.

Randy said the large quantities of flowers Oberer’s imports daily bring price advantages that permit the company to complete with Cincinnati florists.