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Society of American Florists hands out awards

Society of American Florists’ (SAF) handed out several awards duringthe association’s 132nd Annual Convention in Maui, Hawaii, on September 24. Below we listed some award winners:

Dümmen Orange - Best in Class in the Outstanding Varieties Competition
Dümmen Orange has won Best in Class in the Outstanding Varieties Competition and scored many other honours at the annual convention of the Society of American Florists.



Carnation Alcazar not only won the Blue Ribbon (a score of 42-50 points out of a maximum of 50), it was also proclaimed Best in Class at the Outstanding Varieties Competition. This is one of the industry’s biggest flower competitions held during the annual convention of the Society of American Florists (SAF) in Hawaii. Carnation Alcazar was entered by Dümmen Orange and is grown by Flexport de Colombia. Another much admired Blue Ribbon winner was Gerbera Terra Icy, entered and grown by Green Valley Floral (California).



Dwight Larimer induced into SAF Hall of Fame
Dwight Larimer, AAF, PFCI, president of Design Master color tool in Boulder, Colorado, received the floral industry’s greatest honor, induction into the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) Floriculture Hall of Fame. The announcement brought hundreds of industry members to their feet for a standing ovation during the awards dinner during the association’s 132nd Annual Convention in Maui, Hawaii.



“The Floriculture Hall of Fame is truly the floral industry’s highest achievement,” said SAF Awards Committee member Lori Wheat, AAF, of Lafayette Florist, Gift Shop & Garden Center in Lafayette, Colorado. “Being chosen for this prestigious honor means that the recipient has made a permanent and significant contribution to the advancement of floriculture. Dwight’s name is linked with powerful words like leadership, vision, commitment and integrity. He is synonymous with a company known in all quarters of the floral industry. Under his direction, Design Master literally has transformed the industry’s thinking about color.”

Brian E. Whipker receives Alex Laurie Award
A renowned researcher on plant growth regulators who developed numerous tools and resources for the industry is the 2016 recipient of the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) Alex Laurie Award. The honor was presented to Brian E. Whipker, Ph.D.

Established in 1948, SAF’s Alex Laurie Award is named for the eminent professor at The Ohio State University. Over the course of his 60-year career, Laurie laid the groundwork for research that revolutionized the floriculture industry and left a lineage of students, teachers and researchers continuing to provide the information necessary to ensure the industry’s future.



Dr. Whipker, a professor of floriculture at North Carolina State University, has a long history of researching and understanding plant responses to the environment including diagnosing and solving plant disorders. He has worked on specific disorders; such as distorted plug growth of pansies, gerberas and petunias, and in doing so has become the preeminent academic resource on the use of plant growth regulators. He has also developed nutritional diagnostic tools across species, and applied his research to create grower guides that help identify many different deficiency symptoms. These guides are designed for ease of use by greenhouse personnel and staff to allow for more rapid identification of plant problems.

Leo Roozen receives Paul Ecke, Jr. Award
A business and industry leader who heads the country’s largest flower bulb grower is the recipient of the Society of American Florists’ 2016 Paul Ecke, Jr. Award. Leo Roozen, AAF, president of Washington Bulb Co. in Mt. Vernon, Washington, received the honor on Sept. 24 during the association’s 132nd Annual Convention in Maui, Hawaii.



Established in 1984, SAF’s Paul Ecke, Jr. Award recognizes exemplary devotion to profession, industry and community. Previously the SAF Golden Bouquet Award, this award was renamed in 2002 in memory of Paul Ecke, Jr., AAF.

“To say that flowers are part of Leo’s DNA is an understatement. In fact, the name Roozen means ‘roses’ in Dutch,” said Bob Williams, AAF, PFCI, of Smithers-Oasis – North American Operations in Kent, Ohio, and member of SAF’s Awards Committee. “Leo learned the business firsthand from his father, but perhaps even more important, he learned what his parents most valued: family, honest work, a job well done. The floral industry applauds the dedication he has shown to his business, community, family and the entire floral industry for the past 40 years.”
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