Acquisitions and ownership transitions are reshaping the floral industry as businesses look for new ways to grow, owners plan their exits and larger organizations expand into new markets. But buying a business is about far more than agreeing on a price and signing paperwork.
Two education sessions at SAF Amelia Island 2026, the Society of American Florists’ SAF’s 141st annual convention Aug. 18-20, will explore both sides of the acquisition equation: how to determine whether an opportunity is worth pursuing in the first place — and how to successfully navigate the transition once a deal is done.
In Managing Ownership Transition, Laura Walsh, regional manager of Phillips Flowers & Gifts, a Family Flowers company, and John Scott Wilkins, CEO of DVFlora, with moderator Brent Denham, general manager of Arizona Flower Market, will focus on what happens after ownership changes hands.
“Change is very emotional before it’s operational,” Walsh says.
Employees may immediately wonder whether their jobs, pay, benefits or responsibilities will change. Customers may question whether they will receive the same service. New owners, meanwhile, must decide what to preserve, what to change and how quickly to move.
The panel will explore why communication from the outset is critical, along with strategies for retaining employees, maintaining customer trust and understanding an existing company’s culture before making sweeping changes. They’ll also address one of the most delicate parts of any transition: introducing new systems and processes without overwhelming employees or losing what made the acquired business successful in the first place.
In the other session, Growth Through Acquisitions: When to Buy, When to Walk Away, Kevin McCarthy, president of Family Flowers and Danny Sanchez, CEO of South Florals Group, will draw on extensive acquisition experience to help attendees evaluate opportunities more strategically. Sanchez has acquired more than 25 businesses during his 19 years in business, while Family Flowers has completed more than 100 acquisitions.
Acquisitions can offer a faster path to growth by allowing a company to purchase existing sales and customer relationships rather than build them from scratch. They can also create economies of scale, reduce overhead and expand a company’s reach. But McCarthy and Sanchez caution that sales figures alone don’t tell the whole story. Buyers need to understand where revenue comes from, how loyal customers are to the business or its owner, whether the operation fits their existing business model and what risks may be hiding beneath the surface.
Through interactive scenarios, attendees will put those principles into practice, weighing real-world factors such as revenue mix, customer loyalty, leases, staffing, valuation and potential liabilities before deciding: buy it or walk away?
Together, the sessions offer a start-to-finish look at a growth strategy that is becoming increasingly relevant across the floral industry. Attendees considering an acquisition will learn how to evaluate opportunities, recognize risks and conduct due diligence. Those preparing for or already navigating an ownership transition will gain strategies for communicating change, integrating operations and protecting the relationships that give a business its value.
Find more information about SAF Ameilia Island 2026 and register here.
Amanda Jedlinsky is senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
