Our Story Starts With Ed

Ed Smith was in his forties when owned Miami Valley Distributing Co., which sold appliances from TVs to dishwashers. He had been in business all his life from selling magazines door to door to district manager of Avco Finance Co. He was married and had two of the six children at this time.

Ed would frequently buy his wife flowers from a florist called Dayton Floral products on west Riverview Avenue in Dayton, Ohio. This florist was a regional distributor and grower of fresh flowers for the tri-state area. The owner, Rolf Zetlitz, was up in his years and had previously fallen off one of the green houses and broken his hip. After many visits they became close business friends.

In 1954, Miami Valley Distribution had caught fire and burned beyond the replacement value of either the business or the building. Ed Smith was without a job and wasn't real sure what to do with his age being approx. 45 and having a third child on the way. He went on several job interviews and talked to a lot of his business contacts but wasn't sure he would be happy working for someone else, since he had his own business.

Nevertheless, Ed would still frequent the florist on West Riverview Avenue and talk to his friend Rolf. Ed didn't know anything about the flowers business but he knew business. He couldn't tell a rose from a carnation. Ed knew he couldn't run Dayton Floral Products as it was setup because Rolf did a lot of the growing and harvesting himself. See, Rolf Zetlitz was a single man who never had been married and didn't have any kids, so his life and happiness was spent at the floral supply. Ed had joked with Rolf about buying the business several times, but one day Rolf took him serious. Ed and Rolf discussed the purchase in a more serious manner, and the deal was done.

Ed Smith didn't want the name, so he changed it to "Ed Smith Flowers and Gifts, Inc." and hired managers and floral designers to help him run the business and by the mid sixties his business had grown to three stores. The main store on West Riverview, Salem Avenue by the Salem Mall and Woodman Drive by the Air Force Museum.

Ed closed the Salem Ave. store in the late sixties because of sales and personnel problems. The Riverview and Woodman stores were left and they were doing fine. Ed had six kids at this time and was slowly working some of them into the business. He was in his upper fifties and was planning his retirement.

In the late sixties, Ed Smith had promoted his floral shop in many ways. He would come up with ideas such as, sending plants to the schools for science projects or giving flowers away. Ed had an idea that would help promote both the Girl Scouts and the floral shop. His idea was to have the Brownies, Bluebirds and Girl Scouts pass out to the people downtown 2,000 assorted color roses. He went to Mayor James McGee and got permission from the city and then let the people in the media know about it. All the Girl Scout troops met at City Hall. Each girl was handed a fireside basket with mixed roses. At that time, they were instructed to go to each office building in the downtown area and hand any person they saw a rose. Ed had radio and TV. coverage. Steve Kirk of W.I.N.G. Radio was helping pass out the roses. Everyone wanted to be a part of this. This total involvement from so many people made this a success for everybody.

Ed Smith and Dayton Mayor James McGee	Dayton Mayor James McGee

Ed was now in his sixties, and he knew he was not getting any younger. He had decided some time earlier to bring the family down to help out at the shop. Each one at some time or another had worked in either the greenhouses or the floral shop or both. Two of his sons seemed to stay the longest and have a true interest in the business. In the late seventies, Ed decided to retire and pass the torch on to his two sons.

On February 4, 1981, Ed Smith passed away. However, Ed Smith Flowers and Gifts, Inc. is still family owned and operated. The floral shop has stayed in business and continues with his name and philosophies to this day.