Palmer Flowers, Paul Wood Florist merge

FORT COLLINS – Two of the city’s best-known florists have agreed to merge their businesses.

Spiro Palmer, owner of Palmer Flowers, and Judy Boggs, owner of Paul Wood Florist, reached an agreement on Nov. 1 for Palmer to buy the assets of Paul Wood and take over day-to-day operations. The shop will still carry the Paul Wood name and Boggs retains ownership of the building on Olive Street downtown. She will handle the community relations side of the business, focusing on education and marketing locally, nationally and internationally.

“This is a win-win for both of us,” Boggs told the Business Report Daily. “I’ve reached the point in my life where I’m ready to refocus, and to have more time with my family and friends. But I still need to be involved in the business.”

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Another reason for the merger is to keep competitive in the industry, which has taken some major hits with the economic downturn as well as increased competition from online retailers and flowers becoming more widely available in outlets such as grocery and hardware stores.

“I don’t consider grocery stores competition, because what we offer is a more finished product and service,” Boggs said. “But both Spiro and I have seen other florists, our friends in the industry, go out of business, just quit rather than compete. We have both embraced the new technology that is changing the business so rapidly, so together we can stay competitive.”

Boggs said she had received other offers to sell her business in the past few years, some from out of state, but feels very comfortable with the Palmer merger.

“Spiro’s shop used to be right across the street,” she said. “We’ve watched each others’ children grow up, and even though he has been a fierce competitor in the past, we have remained friends and we have the utmost respect for each other.”

She said that the merger will give the business more buying power, offer customers more variety and retain the talents of some seasoned designers. All 14 full- and part-time employees of Paul Wood – some who have been there for 20 years or more – will be staying on in the merged company, Boggs added.

Boggs, who bought the 77-year-old business from founder Paul Wood 33 years ago, said she will continue to teach floral design and floraculture at Front Range Community College as well. The Timnath native also taught in the horticulture department at Colorado State University for 21 years.

Both Boggs and Palmer declined to reveal the financial terms of the merger.