Joseph Langlois of Bangor Floral
The Society of American Florists’ membership includes all segments of the industry — and that community is the heart of SAF. This bi-weekly feature spotlights SAF members sharing inspirational stories, professional insights, and the opportunity to form new industry connections.
When Joseph Langlois was in college, one of his first jobs was at a flower shop in Providence, Rhode Island, where he learned the basics of running a flower shop and providing great customer service. He fell in love with design and made it a priority to try to make life more beautiful for himself and for others.
When Bangor Floral became available for purchase in 2019, Langlois couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to have his own shop. In the first few months as owner, he and the team reworked the shop’s website and selections, and their approach to the business.
“ that ‘business as usual’ wasn’t going to work going forward,” Langlois says. “We asked ourselves three questions: Does this move our brand forward? Do you take your audience on a journey? Are we a force for positive change?”
Together, Langlois and his team developed a plan to improve the shop’s brand, get more involved in the community, and be proactive about sustainability. Since then, the shop has thrived, earning double-digit increases in revenue, Langlois says.
Staying Relevant
Langlois makes it a priority to stay nimble so he can quickly pivot to capitalize on trends.
“ indoor plants has been an amazing journey for us, in addition to sourcing unique gift items to offer as add ons to help grow incremental sales,” he says. “It’s as easy as just offering!”
Reaching a New Customer Base
Bangor Floral leverages digital marketing and taps into a younger demographic by advertising on marketing channels specific to that target audience. They have also hired a firm to streamline their digital media and expand their reach.
“I would recommend everyone to shake up their comfort zone and not do ‘business as usual’ anymore because the times have changed and so must we,” Langlois says.
Why SAF?
Langlois joined SAF in 2022 because of its strong leadership position in the industry and its advocacy work on Capitol Hill.
He’s also a fan of SAF’s Petal It Forward goodwill initiative, in which floral businesses nationwide hand out two bouquets — one to keep and one to give away—and will be participating for a second year on Oct. 18.
“It totally aligns with our love of doing good in the community and our deep passion for paying kindness forward,” Langlois says.
He also utilizes a variety of different SAF resources. “I devour Floral Management magazine as soon as it’s available, and will mark it up, highlight and leave it on my desk for a quick reference,” he says. “There is a great selection of classes and other self-improvement courses, and I have purchased from SAF’s vendor list as well. I would recommend this resource to anyone.”
Langlois was recently featured on SAF’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Do you know a member who should have a chance in the spotlight? Email Stephanie Brady, project manager for SAF.
Stephanie Brady is the project manager for the Society of American Florists.
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Member Spotlight: Kelly Shore of The Floral Source in Olney, Maryland Member Spotlight: Gina Thresher, AIFD, EMC, of From the Ground Up Floral in Kent, Washington Member Spotlight: Diana Erazo of Ecoroses, Machachi Valley, Ecuador Member Spotlight: Ellen T. Paparozzi, Ph.D. of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska