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Show rj$$t Park Record I MIaQDE(BitnDnai(E(B Plaza Flowers is newest blossom in Scott Rudder's ever-growing garden )); jisry tea- ... ..-'' I h ,-, V " n '-tfr---'''" J-" I' fi"??- ,,,: 1: J . fJiM Scott Rudder by Randy llanskat You are told of the 10 flower shops in Mesa, Arizona which were all started by this man. Soon there will be eight more in the Salt Lake Park City area, with the first opening soon in the Deer Valley Plaza building. You learn that the owner recently did all of the flowers, both silk and fresh, for the Democratic Convention in Salt Lake. You find that he is the personal florist for the governor, for two major hotels in Salt Lake, for numerous developments, and that's just a start. A cover story in Money magazine is forthcoming on the man and the flower industry. Surely this person must have the benefit of years of experience and contact-making. It takes decades to put together such a resume, you would think. But the accomplishments listed above are those of 21-year-old Scott Rudder, who just celebrated his birthday July 6. Rudder began when he was 16, and his entry in the Park City business community, Plaza Flowers, is the newest leaf of his ever-growing floral business. The official opening of the new shop is July 30. It's difficult to discern which plants and flowers are real and which are silk. The fresh come from Rudder's greenhouse in Encineas, California, the silk from a variety of sources. Those silk flowers, in particular, are Rudder's pride. He is so confident in his product that he offers a 100-year guarantee! Rudder says if the flowers get dirty, or damaged by pets or kids, or if any other problems occur, one of his shops will pick them up, clean and restore them to their original condition, and bring them back the same day. All for no charge, good for 100 years from the date of purchase. Plaza Flowers is also hooked into four wire services FTD, AFS, Teleflora, and Caric and is also to send flowers anywhere in the world. A look at the employee benefits at Plaza Flowers, as well as Rudder's other shops, tells enough of his business philosophy. He said he starts his employees at a high salary, sometimes double what other shops pay. In addition he has various incentive plans; he said he recently returned from Disneyland with his employees a trip for which he footed the entire bill. It all sounds more like a large corporation than a tiny flower shop in the Plaza. But you must remember that Rudder has acquired somewhat of an empire in the flower business. But in the beginning Rudder himself was the only asset. When he was 15, Rudder was managing two shops in Vernal and Roosevelt for another man. There he saw the money which could be made in the business, and decided he would go it on his own. He returned to Mesa, Arizona where he had grown up, and went to the local bank asking for a new business loan. Evidently the woman he dealt with didn't see the future because she told Rudder to come back "when he grew up" and they would talk again. , Rudder didn't give up, however, and kept bugging the woman for three months. Finally, she said he f could put together a program to present to the bank board. Rudder came back with a four-and-one-half hour presentation detailing marketing, income outlook and other important information. In 20 minutes Rudder said, he left the bank with a loan for over $180,000. From there, at age 16, things expanded rapidly. Rudder became involved in the Chamber of Commerce in Mesa, and began to acquire a reputation as a designer. He entered his first design contest, and placed sixth. Every competition since then he has won, he said. He got involved in the Floral Society, and on the boards of the wire services. Soon that first Mesa store multiplied into 10, and Rudder had a virtual monopoly on the area's floral business. Then, Rudder said, he met a woman from Utah. They got married and moved to Park City early this year. Since then he has sold off a few of his Mesa shops. But don't think he is giving up the business; he is only changing the focus. His shop in the Plaza is the first of eight he plans to locate in the Park CitySalt Lake area. A second shop in Roy (near Ogden) is set to open in four weeks, another in Provo in six weeks, with the rest to open in 1985. In Park City alone, Rudder plans to expand to the Galleria on Main Street with a shop which sells only fresh flowers. He also has entertained entertain-ed the possibility of having a flower vendor walking throughout town, selling flowers as they do in European countries. And as in Mesa, Rudder is acquiring clients in Utah who appreciate his design ability. He is doing all of the silk flower arrangements in the Triad Center, and is Governor Matheson's personal person-al florist. When the American cancer Society reconstructs a tairo-pean tairo-pean castle in Salt Lake at the end of August as part of an exhibition, Rudder is handling all of the floral decorations. And the Democratic convention was his baby. But the most prestigious honor may be yet to come. Rudder said he is one of 20 floral designers worldwide nominated by wholesalers as Designer of the Year for 1984. In August, Rudder and the other 19 designers will take a cruise, holding the final competition on board the ship. Forthcoming, Rudder said, is a segment on PM Magazine and a cover story in Money magazine. Rudder doesn't sound boastful. The blossoming of his flower business he recites in a matter-of-fact way, as if to simply prove how wrong that woman banker was five years ago. Who knows what will come when he does grow up? |