WHOLESALER SPOTLIGHT: Valley Floral Company

Valley Floral began in 1941 when Vannie and AJ Wannow planted ten acres of mostly gladiolus at Ark Valley Gardens in Wichita, Kansas. Nearly a century later, that ten-acre area houses a 50,000-square-foot warehousing and distribution facility, with another 40,000-square-foot greenhouse division just ten miles down the road.

In 1945, Vannie and AJ brought on Joe Baldwin, whose commitment to excellence and ability to teach and mentor his fellow employees helped set Valley apart from its competition. More than 40 employees with an average tenure of ten years now operate its state-of-the-art facilities.

In 1941, Valley stored flowers in an underground cave to keep them fresh; today, flowers are refrigerated at all points of the production chain, from the farm to Valley’s refrigerated warehouse to the trucks that transport them to a customer’s floral shop. This is Valley’s Cold Chain Process, giving their flowers the longest life possible: Customers see a 40% or greater increase in the life of Valley flowers, compared to companies that warehouse and deliver them at temperatures above 40 degrees.

Another thing that sets Valley Floral apart is its dedication to the success of its retail partners and the industry as a whole. Valley has focused on being a leading advocate for education and training and continues to set the standard in these areas, with many participants featured in national publications. For their consistent efforts, Valley has won awards from Teleflora, the Kansas State Florist Association, and the Greater Wichita Floral Association.

And now, Valley Floral is proud to announce an additional location in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This location expands Valley’s cold chain delivery throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. It’s all to provide more customers with the “Valley Difference”: superior service coupled with the finest floral products at cost-effective prices.