The Goldberg Family's Skyline Flowers
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A Quarterly Publication of The Los Angeles Flower Market of the American Florists Exchange, Ltd. Winter/January 2013 • Volume 22 - Number 1 The Goldberg Family’s Skyline Flowers Four Generations of California Flower Growing Story begins on page 4 Tom Goldberg in Oxnard, California greenhouse, October 2012, among the Matsumoto asters. “Legends” a Huge Success for CSFA See Page 14 Get the Freshest Valentine Flowers at The Original Los Angeles Flower Market D 40 42 43 39 Enlarged to show market vendors Hours: Trade/Wholesale: Mon-Wed: 2 to 8 am; Tues: 5 to 6 am; Thurs: 5 am to noon; Fri: 2am to 3 pm; Sat: 5 am to 3 pm. Public: ($2 admission weekdays; $1 on Saturday) Mon-Wed: 8 am to noon; Tues: 6 to 11 am; Thurs: 6am to noon; Fri: 8am to 3 pm; Sat: 6am to 3 pm. For holiday and special hours, see www.LAFlowerDistrict.com. Los Angeles Flower Market of the American Florists Exchange, Ltd . The Merchants of the 1. JX Grand Tree Inc . 213 833 .0002 23, Mellano & Company . 213 622 .0796 Los Angeles Flower Market 33, 34. Full Service 3. Imported Flowers Street map above from Paradise, Inc . 213 488 .1443 24. Valle Wholesale . 213 688 .8810 A. Lee’s Orchids . .213 614-1925 4. Dan Stamis Wholesale . 213 622 .6770 Full Service Greens B. Floral Delivery Co-op . 213 623 .6974 26. Gonzalez Wholesale . 213 613 .0756 ..............................213 387 .1357 5. Blossom Valley . 213 891 .9320 Miscellaneous Cut Flowers Roses C. Paul Ecke Poinsettias . 213 622 .8667 27. C&K Wholesale . .213 327-0313 December Only 6. G .M . Floral . 213 489 .7050 D. See detail (above right) Full Service 28. Ted’s Evergreens . 213 624 .9510 E. RDP Floral, Inc . 213 623 .2514 7. Dayro’s Wholesale . 213 623 .5177 29B. Greens Roses & Cut Flowers F. Mellano & Company . 213 622 .0796 29A. Vases by Robert . 818 434 .1512 7A. Flower Salad . 213 624 .1974 Full Service - 30 Ceramics Miscellaneous Cut Flowers, Greens G. Mellano & Company 31. Balloons Away . 213 683 .8819 Wholesale Florist . 213 622 .0796 7B. Dayro’s Wholesale . 213 623 .5177 Roses & Cut Flowers Full Service 32A. Gilbert Wholesale . 213 689 .9564 I. Dayro’s Wholesale . 213 623 .4355 8. Designer Direct Showcase Inc . 213 488 .9795 32B. A Ruiz Wholesale . 213 622 .3695 J. J . Dayro’s Certified Floral Supplies Exotic Cut Flowers Florist, Inc . 213 623 .5239 Floral Supplies 10. Tommy’s Flower Land . 213 622 .1205 36. - Tropical U .S .A . 213 614 .1915 K. Floral Supply Syndicate . 213 624 .3982 Roses 38. Exotic Cut Flowers Floral Supplies 11. Eliseo’s . 213 627 .4898 39. World Coffee Kiosk L. Moskatel’s, Inc . 213 689 .4650 Miscellaneous Cut Flowers Floral Supplies 12A-. Kimura Plus . 213 488 .1620 40. S .O .S . 213 896 .0322 13A 42. Miscellaneous Cut Flowers M. Stamis Wholesale . 213 622 .6770 Floral Supplies 12B-. RDP Floral . 213 623 .8069 43. Growers Direct . .213 688-8805 13B Roses & Carnations N. Floral Prop Rental . 213 622 .1700 Cut Flowers Floral Supplies 14. Choice Flowers . 213 489 .4879 Miscellaneous & Exotic Flowers 44. Paradise Gardens . 213 488 .5144 O. Abigail’s Flowers . 213 622 .5041 Full Service Jay’s Plants . 213 612 .0353 17. Stelzner Wholesale . 213 891 .1514 Miscellaneous Cut Flowers P. LA Flower District 45. Orchid Oasis . 213 627 .3805 Association (Badge) . 213 627 .3696 18. Zavala Wholesale Flowers . 213 488 .0085 Orchids Q. Milagra . 213 629 .5867 20. Cal Pom Pons . 213 623 .6651 50. Sanchez, Martin . 213 629 .4154 Exotic orchids Supermarket Florals, Rose Petals & Roses Fruit, Candy & Stuffed Animals Where Good Ideas Are Always In Bloom Contents This newsmagazine is published quarterly (January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1) by Cover Story: The Goldberg Family’s The Los Angeles Flower Market of The American Florists’ Exchange, Ltd. Location: 754 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 • Internet: www.bloominnews.com. Sub- Skyline Flowers: scription and advertising details at BloominNews.com. Four Generations of California Flower Growing 4 Publisher Original Los Angeles Flower Market of the American Florists’ Exchange Los Angeles Flower Market Map 2 www .originalLAflowermarket .com 754 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 People and Places Mon.-Fri., 6 am to 2 pm 6 Market Information: 213 622-1966 Market Manager/Mellano: 213 622-0796 In the Market /Roundabout Board of Directors 8 American Florists’ Exchange, Ltd., Los Angeles Flower Market Christine Duke, Lizbeth A. Ecke, Johnny Mellano, Potpourri 10 Jon Prechtl, John Williams, Christopher Calkins Original Los Angeles Flower Market Hours & Info Feature: CSFA’s “Calif Flora 2012” Maps, Tenants, Hours, the Season's Flowers and More can be found at www .originalLAflowermarket .com a Fun Learning Event 14 Editorial and Advertising Peggi Ridgway, Wordpix Editorial Solutions Happenings/Calendar 16 5146 East 23rd Street, Tulsa, OK 74114 Phone 800 200-1101• FAX 918 743-1105 Email: [email protected] • www.bloominnews.com Los Angeles Flower District Art Director 17 Michael Wheary, Calypso Concepts Association/ Badge Program LAFD Association Member Badge Program Frank Reyes MORE THAN 60 YEARS IN PUBLICATION 766 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 www.LAFlowerDistrict.com • Mon.-Sat., 6 am to 2 pm • (213) 627-3696 Subscribe Those working in the California floral and horticultural industries may join our mail- ing list at no cost. Subscribe at BloominNews.com to the print and/or email edi- tions. Get the digital version at http://bit.ly/laflower or text FLOWER to 42828. Disclaimer Neither the Bloomin’ News nor the Original Los Angeles Flower District recom- mends or endorses any products or advertisements displayed in this publication but presents them as a service to our readers. Advertise in Bloomin’ News Visit Bloominnews.com or contact our editor for advertising rates, dimen- sions and details. Advertise in color. We’ll design your first ad for free! Index to Advertisers Bloomin’ News Goes Green..............................Page 20 Flower District Badge Program ......................Page 17 - 18 Mellano & Company .....................................Page 9 Advertise in the Bloomin’ News ..........................Page 3 Maximum Exposure, Lowest Industry Cost Original Los Angeles Flower Market History Book .........Page 11 Phil Rulloda School of Floral Design......................Page 13 Prudential California Realty .............................Page 10 Teleflora ..............................................Page 19 U.S. Soldier Florist Wrap .................................Page 7 Wordpix ...............................................Page 13 www.BloominNews.com • 800.200.1101 THE BLOOMIN’ NEWS 3 WINTER/JANUARY 2013 Where many of those spectacular flowers at the Original Los Angeles Flower Market begin. Gertie Goldberg, founder of the THE family business in Salt Lake City Tom checks snapdragon seedlings. GOLDBERG Four Generations of During the Great Depression in the 1930s, recalls LeRoy Goldberg, “We had a cow, fruit trees, and a few flowers.” In those early days, the Goldberg family’s farm and orchard sat across the road from a cem- etery in Salt Lake City. LeRoy was one of six children with a single mom, Gertie Goldberg, all of them working the farm and orchard to make a living for the family. The flower part of the business got a big boost the day a potato peeler salesman dropped by and bought bunches of flowers to re-sell with his peelers. That Memorial Day, lines of people snaked their way through the Goldbergs’ flower bunches, buying the traditional floral decorations, espe- Burgundy dahlias in a Skyline Flowers greenhouse, Oxnard. cially Gertie Goldberg’s gladiolus, for graves of loved ones, especially veterans of the First World War. The family turned their flower profits back into the busi- ness by building greenhouses and focusing their efforts on flower growing. Go west, young man The greenhouses and flower shop the Goldbergs eventually operated in Salt Lake City are still in Salt Lake City, run today by LeRoy’s sister Sandra Goldberg, age 92. But Skyline’s flower growing operations revitalized itself in Southern California Left, LeRoy Goldberg, founder, with son in the mid-1950s when LeRoy, after Tom Goldberg, vice president. LeRoy once mustering out of the United States returned to Salt Lake City to visit the family Army, returned to the family busi- flower shop and found his mother Gertie, Joe Goldberg, left, and Tom, with a shipment of flowers then in her 90s, planting dish gardens. heading to the Original Los Angeles Flower Market. ness. He had served in both World War II and the Korean 4 FAMILY’S SKYLINE FLOWERS California Flower Growing By Peggi Ridgway War and, starting a new civilian life, decided to call the Oxnard area home. On expanded substantially. ten acres of rich farmland purchased by the Goldberg family, LeRoy constructed a small shed and a greenhouse and named his new business Skyline Flowers. Measured growth, visionary management Now in its fourth generation of Goldberg family management, Skyline With each land purchase, more flowers were introduced. Twenty-five ad- Flower Growers is a grower, shipper and wholesaler with more than 200 ditional acres were purchased in the 1970s. In the 1980s, with the addition acres, including more than three million square feet of greenhouses and of 150 acres, the company began growing gypsophilia, statice and larkspur shade houses in Oxnard, Camarillo, Arroyo Grande and Nipomo, and a grow- (and began shipping all over the United States); and in the 1990s, after buy- ing operation in Guadalupe, west of Nipomo. ing a nursery in Nipomo, dahlias, lilies, snapdragons and ranunculas joined “We have chosen these locations,” says company management at their the repertoire of products. Other than bulb crops from Holland and Chile, all website, “for their cool coastal breezes and moderate temperatures which of Skyline’s flowers are grown from seed. provide some of the best flower growing conditions in America.” Like many California flower growers, Skyline takes advantage of the Wholesale distribution facilities are located in Seattle and Spokane, state’s various micro-climates.