Dawn Larimer, Dwight Larimer AAF, PFCI, and Bob Patterson, Michigan Floral Foundation chairman. Dwight Larimer was inducted into the prestigious Michigan Floral Foundation Hall of Fame in October.
A visionary who helped transform the way florists and wholesalers think about, use and merchandise color was recently named to the prestigious Michigan Floral Foundation Hall of Fame.
Dwight Larimer, AAF, PFCI, president of DESIGN MASTER color tool, inc. in Boulder, Colorado, received the honor during a dinner event in late October at Michigan State University’s University Club in East Lansing, Michigan.
“For over 40 years, Larimer has contributed to the success of many floral organizations including the Society of American Florists, the Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association, the American Floral Endowment ant the Floral Marketing Research Fund,” according to a press release announcing the award.
Larimer, the current chairman of the American Floral Endowment, was inducted into the Society of American Florists’ Floriculture Hall of Fame last year.
“Dwight’s name is linked with powerful words like leadership, vision, commitment and integrity,” said SAF Awards Committee member Lori Wheat, AAF, of Lafayette Florist, Gift Shop & Garden Center in Lafayette, Colorado, as she announced his induction last year. “He is synonymous with a company known in all quarters of the floral industry.”
“For all of Dwight’s business success,” she added, “for all of the value he has brought to industry trade associations, for all of the sage advice he has given on countless stages literally around the world, Dwight is most often referred to as a friend — one full of integrity, wisdom, foresight and just plain good sense.”
Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Larimer attended the State University of New York at Albany. Following his graduation, Larimer began his career in the industry in Berlin, New York, at W.J. Cowee, a firm specializing in the manufacturing of wooden floral picks and plant stakes. Larimer rose up the ladder, becoming vice president of sales and marketing in 1979.
In 1983, after gaining much needed industry experience and many new contacts throughout the industry, Larimer joined Colorado Dye and Chemical – the forerunner of DESIGN MASTER color tool and moved to Boulder, Colorado. While using his business acumen and leadership skills, Larimer immersed himself in the psychology of color and color trends and learned unique ways that color can be used by creative professionals in the floral and craft industries. He became president of DESIGN MASTER in 1990.
DESIGN MASTER’s “Just for Flowers” line of aerosols allowed retailers to achieve nearly any look they wanted — through paint — even if a specific color of flower was not available. This helped florists meet customers’ needs in a cost-effective way. Plus, putting dye technology in an aerosol format was something way ahead of its time.
Larimer was also instrumental in developing the Color Concepts program, partnering with other suppliers to market complementary products in similar colors — a merchandising breakthrough that was ultimately profitable for both wholesaler and supplier, and his initiative helped DESIGN MASTER change retail florists’ thinking about the use of color with a variety of breakthrough products.
While Larimer has taken the company far during his career, he’s done so in an environmentally responsible way. He took steps early on to produce aerosols without CFC propellants, package sprays in recycled cans, abide by stringent air quality production standards and follow all environmental regulations in the manufacturing, packaging and distribution of DESIGN MASTER products.
Larimer is chiefly a marketer, and under his leadership, DESIGN MASTER color tool has been the first and only sponsor of Floral Management’s Marketer of the Year Award. His belief in making sure retail florists have access to the best and most effective marketing ideas in the industry led him to give more than $100,000 in prize money for that award over the last 20 years.
He served as a president of WF&FSA from 2002 to 2003 and is chairman elect of the Floral Marketing Research Fund. He has been involved in AIFD and local and state organizations where he has built last relationships to help those organizations advance floriculture.
For 12 years he has made a commitment to fighting cancer and supporting AIDS research by participating in long distance bike rides.
Among his many honors are WF&FSA’s Leland T. Kinzele Award, SAF’s Paul Ecke Jr. award and the Michigan Floral Association’s National Service Award.
To make a donation to the MFF in Dwight’s name or for any other occasion, click here https://connect.computility.com/f/index.php or call Michigan Floral Foundation at (517) 575-0110 or email rod@michiganfloral.org. You can also send check to the Michigan Floral Foundation, PO Box 67, Haslett, Michigan, 48840.
