Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts

Flowers are a way of life for family-owned Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts in Rogers.

“All three generations truly love flowers and feel flowers feed the soul through sight, smell and the positive emotion they give our customers,” said Jo Buttram, president and owner. Buttram is the daughter of founder Shirley Cole.

Formed in 1975, Shirley’s has long been a go-to business for weddings and events sponsored by a number of charities, including the American Heart Association, the Mercy Health Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club.

Buttram said the business supplies arrangements and décor for about a dozen charitable events a year.

Buttram and daughter Shelby Shy, who serves as vice president, credit their success to both their love of the business and their diligent record keeping.

“We love what we do, and it shows,” Buttram said. “Each of our generations has brought something new to the business, and we are all open-minded to change.”

Shirley’s serves about 28,000 accounts a year, and Buttram said the business had plans to expand to a new location sometime soon after doubling sales expectations in 2011. She credits careful cash management and quality employees.

“They have a sense of ownership, and we promote that,” Buttram said.

The ability to reach a younger generation has given Shirley’s a competitive edge. Shirley’s has a Twitter and a Facebook page, and Shy recently rebuilt the company’s website.

“It’s another brick-and-mortar for us,” she said. Thanks to the website, Shirley’s gets calls from all over the country. It also gives presentations on weddings, social media and marketing for the floral industry. Both women sit on multiple industry committees and associations, such as the Arkansas Florists Association.