Florist in Elkhart, Indiana Talks Business

Magnificent food, delightful decorations, lots of laughter and gorgeous flowers are excellent words to describe an evening spent with Ken Knepp, co-owner and president of West View Florist in Elkhart, Indiana, and his friend Roger Swisher, cook and caterer.

I had asked Ken for an interview last Christmas at his business open house when I heard bits and pieces of the story of how he became a florist. As his store intoxicated me with delightful Christmas fragrances and stunning décor, his story fascinated me, and I wanted to learn more.

Ken started in business back in 1976 with his now partner, then wife, but it wasn't his first time in the florist business. Ken was born the son of a preacher in Kokomo, Indiana, and lived there until he was in 4th grade. His mother, being a frugal minister's wife, would save the ribbon from the flowers, iron them and pack them away. After the service most of the flowers would go to waste, but not while Ken was around. He would rummage through his mother's saved ribbons and rearrange those flowers with the added touches from Mom's collection. I guess having an eye for design is something that you are born with and an inquisitive mind and creative streak is something that only a loving parent can nurture and help to develop.

Develop it did. Ken had his first job in a local nursery while still in high school, but he went on for bigger and better things. After high school he worked full time and saw many changes in the floral industry. Flowers last longer because of technology and shipping methods. The way that florist present them has been enhanced by tubes to hold the flower in place and not wire.

During our sumptuous dinner with meat so tender the fork made it flake, Ken talked about the change in shipping today and market changes as a whole. Refrigerated trucks carry flowers to their destination at a temperature just above freezing. They come dehydrated and need to have the stems cut shorter so the florist can rehydrate them. Flowers that have become increasingly more popular are daisy pom-poms and pom-pom mums.