Lynn in bloom again as florists return

LYNN – During the summer of 2005, Keith Saunders and his partner, David Daley, were looking to make a lifestyle change.Without further ado, they sold Welch Florist, the Lynn business they purchased in 1987 and grew into a thriving floral shop. The men also sold their Emerald Road home, packed their belongings and moved to Naples, Fla.”The idea of living permanently in Florida seemed like the right thing to do,” said Saunders, 48, who grew up in Danvers. “But we just hated it. We knew right away that we had made a very big mistake. We really missed the business, the customers, our friends, and especially Lynn.”While in Florida, Saunders worked as an assistant store manager for the gourmet grocer Fresh Market. Daley, 46, got a job creating dried flower arrangements for a business called Custom Interiors. But neither was happy.Back in Lynn, Emily Fantasia, to whom they had sold the floral business and the building at 121 Essex St., was feeling the pressure of the daily commute from her South Shore home. Diabetes also compounded Fantasia’s circumstances, giving her another reason to consider the purchase offer.”Emily just couldn’t do the commute any more. It had become overwhelming,” said Saunders. “When we first approached her about our possibly buying back the business, she wasn’t ready to sell. The business was doing well.”When Fantasia learned the former owners were moving back to Lynn, negotiations began in earnest. That was in April, and on Nov. 15 the deal was signed. Saunders described the deal as a wash, the re-purchase price close to the selling price.”When David was a boy, he lived in Peabody and his grandmother would take him shopping on Union Street in Lynn. He loved all the shops and has really fond memories of the place,” said Saunders. “Welch Florist was actually started by Tom and Margaret Welch on Union Street in 1947, next to St. Joseph’s Church. Other owners came after that and the business was moved to its present location in 1977.”According to Saunders, news of their return in April, slightly less than two years after their departure, spread like wildfire. Customers were eager to welcome them. “David and I grew the shop quite a bit after we bought it in 1987,” he said. “I handle the business end of things and David is the creative one, the head designer. He controls all the creative aspects of the business.”Before going into business in the 1980s, when both men were in their twenties, Daley attended the Rittner’s School of Floral Design in Boston, where his natural talent blossomed. Saunders began working in the Purity Supreme supermarket’s produce and floral department when he was a teen, remaining with the company as a manager for many years.”When we purchased Welch Florist, I was still working at Purity Supreme,” he said. “Luckily, David and I were able to combine our talents n what we both do best.”Although the so-called big mistake is now little more than an unpleasant memory, it did serve a purpose. “We came back with a lot more knowledge,” said Saunders. “We’ll be launching a new Web site and expanding our selection of fresh flowers and plants. We’ll also be introducing a new gift basket line with products from Stonewall Kitchens.”Since the men were able to quickly pick up where they had left off two years earlier, Welch Florist continues to provide flowers for funerals, parties, special occasions, holidays and weddings.”We provided the centerpieces for the Businesswoman of the Year event,” he said, referring to the annual award program hosted in Lynn. “We’ve only been back a short time and the response has been more than we could have imagined. Our big thing is the keep the business in Lynn.”In addition to the joy of repurchasing their business, the men recently learned that Market Surveys of America voted Welch Florist the best florist in Greater Lynn for the eleventh consecutive year.To contact Welch Florist, go online to www.welchflowers.com or call (781) 595-8222.