Dear friends:
The world is weird right now. Personally we are all feeling a bit disconnected from friends and family while trying to keep our families, coworkers and customers safe. When trying to decide what topic might interest people this month, I thought it was time to check in and let you know what our world looks like currently. It’s been both refreshing and sobering to hear from our fellow interiorscapers the past few weeks. So, in addition to an update on your friends at PSI, I’ll also give you a glimpse into how the industry and our vendors have been affected.
At PS, our service team has adapted to our customer’s needs and requirements to keep their plants looking nice and thriving while keeping their staff and customers safe. We feel incredibly blessed that our team and product are valued to the level that we are. The majority of our customers have requested we come back and continue to care for their plants as they have all reopened and settled into their new norms. As you all are aware, our hospitality customers are still hurting. We are working with them individually to do whatever is necessary to keep their plants looking nice so when their normal level of guests returns, their spaces are ready.
Our staff have been rock stars. They’ve adapted to everything that has been thrown at them and we have been blessed to add a few new faces to the team during this really weird time. (Interviews with masks are really hard!)
Our event rentals have been nearly nonexistent of course as events aren’t really happening. We are hopeful that they will start coming back slowly this fall but know that it’s going to take time. I have talked to some of our event rental company customers and they have been severely impacted. Our prayers go out to them and their families.
New sales have of course been slow but they are happening and are picking up. We have had the honor of designing and installing botanicals for some very cool new spaces in central Arkansas recently. New client project meetings are also different but Grace and I have adapted to those as well. We’ve also taken advantage of the downtime as a time to be creative and work on new products for customers which has been really fun. (Stay tuned for more on this!)
Our industry friends across the world have been impacted at varying degrees depending on their locations. It does seem we are a resilient bunch and everyone is doing what is best for their companies and customers.
Our growers in South Florida have been hit hard. They have experienced high levels of COVID cases in the community there. We are feeling shortages of some plants as a result. Many nurseries have had to adjust their production based on reduced staffing due to infections and quarantines required from staff and family illnesses. We are hopeful that the situation there improves soon and that those who are sick make full recoveries.
We continue to be inspired by people’s love of plants. I feel some of our shortage of supply is also due to people being at home more and buying up plants for their homes. We dig that! In the restaurant industry, our products have been used very creatively to help safely reopen. Other clients have added more plants to help their spaces feel less sterile in this time that it’s so important that they literally are sterile. Also, we’ve enjoyed providing plants to people for their new home offices, as well as for gifts for loved ones during these past few months.
We most appreciate your support of our small business. You are all in our thoughts and we would love to hear on social media what impact plants have had on your lives since COVID.
We look forward to seeing your faces and hugging your necks when more precedented times return.
Until then, stay well and be kind.
Robin Connell
501-779-0356
