Herman Meinders, AAF, a pioneer in floral wire services, dedicated philanthropist and 2012 inductee into the Society of American Florists’ Floriculture Hall of Fame, died March 30. He was 87.
Meinders’ foray into floristry was serendipitous. At age 20, the Minnesota native co-owned a bar in Florida. One night, he struck up a conversation with a patron who worked as a traveling salesman for National Florist Directory, selling directories to flower shops. Meinders took a job with the company soon after, and spent several years traveling the country and meeting with florists.
In 1970, he struck out on his own, establishing American Floral Service (AFS) in a small garage apartment in Oklahoma City. The wire service’s first directory featured 137 florists who paid five dollars in monthly dues. The business evolved over the years, staying at the forefront of technological advancements to serve the needs of his florist customers, many of whom became lifelong friends.
“I met him at an AFS event in 1984 and he just struck me as an amazingly kind person,” recalls Chris Drummond, AAF, PFCI, of Penny’s By Plaza Florist in Philadelphia. “Even though he was the CEO of this very successful company, he made me feel like I was the most important person in the room.”
By the time Meinders sold the company in 1994, it was one of the largest of its kind worldwide, serving about 25,000 florists in all 50 states, Canada and Mexico. The company merged with Teleflora in 2000, with Meinders serving as chairman emeritus.
“The floral industry lost a legend with the passing of Herman Meinders,” says Jeff Bennett, CEO of Teleflora. “Herman will be remembered by his Teleflora family for his pioneering and entrepreneurial role in the floral industry, his profound generosity and commitment to philanthropy, and his inspiring dedication and drive to succeed.”
Meinders’ large-scale generosity can be seen across the country, with awards, scholarships, grants, and buildings bearing his name. He donated untold millions of dollars to organizations whose missions were close to his heart, including floristry, education, and medical services. The Society of American Florists was among the recipients of his generosity. Meinders donated $250,000 to SAF in 2021, earmarked for training and education initiatives that promote careers in the floral and horticulture industries, and marketing resources to promote consumption of flowers and plants.
Although Meinders spent most of his life in Oklahoma, he supported many state floral associations, says florist Ken Freytag. Thanks to 30 years of donations to the Texas Floral Endowment which supports the Texas State Florists’ Association’s floral design certification program for high schoolers, thousands of students have been introduced to the industry.
“I’ve had a number of them as employees,” says Freytag, owner of Freytag’s Florist in Austin, Texas. “They started in high school and own their own shops now. Those kids probably don’t realize, but that all happened because of Herman.”
Meinders also established multiple endowments with American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) Foundation to help promote lifelong learning and development among floral design students and professionals.
“His involvement was far beyond the generous support of a variety of endeavors,” says Lynn McLean, AIFD, CEO of the AIFD Foundation. “It was his keen awareness of business and his genuine interest that expanded unlimited possibilities.”
Along with his wife, LaDonna, Meinders established the Meinders Retail Florist Education Grant Fund with American Floral Endowment (AFE) to support retail florist education. Meinders donated his time and money to AFE over four decades, serving as its chairman and helping found AFE’s Legacy Circle. After his death, AFE established the Herman Meinders Memorial Tribute in his memory.
Throughout his career, Meinders received several awards and honors. In addition to being inducted to SAF’s Floriculture Hall of Fame in 2012, Meinders received SAF’s Paul Ecke Jr. Award in 2000, which is presented to industry professionals with an exemplary devotion to profession, industry, and community.
“He loved the people in this industry more than anything, and he wanted to see those people become successful,” Drummond says. “Seeing florists be successful and making sure they have the resources and education to do so, that’s going to be his legacy.”
Read Meinders’ obituary here.
Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
