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Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Winston Flowers

It’s not uncommon for flower powerhouse Ted Winston to wake in the middle of the night with an aha moment. iPad stationed at his bedside for such occasions, he jots down inspirations that often, as he puts it, “change things completely” at work the next day. These insights have led to many ideas that have helped grow the Winston business, an empire that consists of six retail spaces and an 80,000-square-foot South End design studio and warehouse. This March the company, the largest independent flower retailer in the country, makes its first out-of-state venture, opening a 3,500-square-foot outpost in Greenwich, Connecticut. “Within three years, we’re hoping to be in New York City and other areas of Fairfield County,” says Winston. Greenwich was chosen after extensive market research: The affluent town’s demographics are similar to those in communities where Winston has experienced success, such as Weston, Wellesley, and Needham. Since Winston has already enjoyed a good business with Greenwich residents requesting deliveries from Boston, it seemed a logical next step for this third-generation family business. While Winston had always set his sights on taking over the family firm, the untimely death of his father in 1988 fast-tracked his career. Winston and his three brothers ran the company for several years; two brothers eventually opted out, leaving Winston and his brother David to manage a business that literally grew from the ground up. “My father’s birth certificate listed his father’s occupation as ‘street vendor,’” recalls Winston. “He used to buy flowers for a nickel and sell them for a dime outside The Ritz-Carlton to feed his family of eight in Mattapan.”