Blessed Blossoms flower shop partners with Supply UT initiative

December 21, 2012 | Features, UToday
By Casey Cheap



When Stacey Turner decided to start her own business in 2000, she only knew she wanted either a flower or bridal shop.

Turner said that back then, bridal shops kept going out of business in the Toledo area, and her loan officer pointed out to her how many flower shops were for sale. So she opened Blessed Blossoms Flower Shop at 3365 Lagrange St. in central Toledo, and the business has become a community staple for both faith and flowers.

Stacey Turner tended to an arrangement at her business, the Blessed Blossoms Flower Shop, which is one of the vendors involved in Supply UT.

“The name reflects taking a leap of faith,” Turner said. “I have lived my life by faith and said to myself, ‘Why not?’ I wanted to try doing this on my own.”

The experience of owning a business has been rewarding, she said, adding that she has been able to supply flowers for The University of Toledo’s and city of Toledo’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Celebration for several years. Turner also has delivered flowers for the annual Rosa Parks celebration sponsored by the Toledo Board of Community Relations and the UT Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women’s Legacy Celebration.

Turner had never worked with flowers prior to starting her shop. She used her remaining vacation time at her former occupation to go through a florist program in Cleveland. She reduced her employment hours to 20 per week while establishing her flower shop.

Turner’s shop sells all types of flowers, plants, corsages, balloons, memorial stones, afghan throws, greeting cards, and specialty wedding and sympathy arrangements.

Blessed Blossoms is one of the vendors involved in Supply UT, which is a program led by the UT Office of Equity, Diversity and Community Engagement to showcase local vendors and encourage support from University employees. The first Supply UT event on Centennial Mall in July featured a wide variety of local vendors, including Blessed Blossoms.

“The Supply UT event was well-executed and very beneficial to the businesses involved,” Turner said.

Other vendors for Supply UT represented restaurants, graphic design, electrical, moving services, office supplies, printing and more, said Dr. Shanda Gore, associate vice president for equity, diversity and community engagement.

“We are partnering with our vendors and are committed to increasing opportunities through the Supply UT program,” Gore said.

Learn more about Blessed Blossoms here.

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