Two of St. Louis' biggest florists — Walter Knoll Florist and Nettie's Flower Garden — merged recently. Once "fierce competitors," the merger of the two businesses is "the best of both worlds ... Nettie's has a good trade name and brand," says Walter Knoll III, president of Walter Knoll Florist, which has been featured in Floral Management magazine for its progressive use of technology.

The owners, Nan and Robert Wright, decided to sell, because they're reaching retirement age and have "no more family in the business," Knoll says. They will now consult for Walter Knoll.

Knoll says he wants to "keep what [Nettie's] has that is good" but has not decided whether to keep the Nettie's name. "We have been toying with different ideas ... It may go away, it may not — it's a well-recognized name in town," Knoll says, adding that the company has discussed turning Nettie's into a high-end boutique name.

Customers who call Nettie's will be transferred to Walter Knoll Florist, and all Nettie's employees — even those from a Nettie's location that's closing — will work for Walter Knoll Florist. "We knew this was going to happen for a few months, so we slowed down on hiring," he says. Because several employees have, over the years, worked at both businesses, and both use the RTI Point of Sale system "Nettie's employees can walk into our stores and be productive" immediately, Knoll says.

Nettie's was opened in 1932 by Frank and Nettie Kurtin — parents of Nan Wright — and were the first florists to open a location in a St. Louis shopping mall, in the 1980s. Walter Knoll was started in 1883, and was the first rose grower west of the Mississippi River. The company has 7 retail locations.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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