Greensmith Florist marks 100 years in Battle Creek

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Greensmith Florist marks 100 years in Battle Creek

Erin Joy Gentry • Feb 04, 2021

Merchant's Corner

by Erin Joy Gentry

As the owner and proprietor of Greensmith Florist and Fine Gifts for more than 40 years, Roger Jacobs has learned a thing or two about flowers.

The business, which is located above the former Addington Hills Cafe on Emmett Street, has grown and changed over the years, much like the owner himself.

Purchasing the property in the late 70s, Jacobs relied on both his creativity and his degree in Horticultural Sciences from Michigan State to bring his vision to life.

“I had initially planned to go into greenhouse work,” said Jacobs, “but the price of gas was going up, making it too expensive to heat them. I decided I might prefer the retail side of things, anyway.”

When Jacobs purchased Greensmith, he wasn’t just beginning his professional career; he was becoming part of a larger story, one that began long before he was born.

“Greensmith is a charter member of FTD,” Jacobs said with pride, referring to Florists Transworld Delivery, an international flower delivery service that has been in business since 1910.

Thanks to a detailed historical scrapbook that a former employee put together for him - Jean Harvey Clark, whom Jacobs termed as Greensmith’s “resident historian”, he is able to trace back the formation of Greensmith to a business partnership between the Warburton and Eldred families in 1901.

Jacobs said that Clark assembled the scrapbook using newspaper clippings and photographs that were provided by family members of the former owners, and it includes images of when Jacobs tore down the former facilities in 1990 and built a new building for Greensmith.

“Sometimes I still think of this as the ‘new’ building,” Jacobs admitted with a smile. “Time has gone by so quickly - I still feel like I’m 40.”

As construction was underway, Jacobs said that he made a last-minute decision to leave the ceilings high and “opened up” - one he has been grateful for ever since, due to the large quantities of natural light that come into the space.

He also expressed gratitude for the large design room behind the counter.

“I don’t think we could have practiced social distancing at work the way things were before we rebuilt,” he said.

The longevity Jacobs has enjoyed at the helm of Greensmith is shared by several employees and delivery drivers - some of whom have worked alongside Jacobs for more than 30 years.

One such employee, Penny Gifford, reminisced that there were 485 deliveries on her first Valentine’s Day at Greensmith, nearly 32 years ago. “It didn’t scare me away; I love the work!” she said.

Jacobs acknowledged that the kind of loyalty he has enjoyed from his employees is rare to encounter in this day and age, crediting the successful retention with shared genuine appreciation for the work they do each day.

“After a while,” he said, “it gets in your blood.”

Jacobs’ wife, Sheila, is also an important part of the equation at Greensmith.

According to Jacobs, she has as much say as he does, if not more so, in the “fine gifts” aspect of the business.

“Sheila and I go down to Dallas each year to the ‘gift show’,” Jacobs said, referring to a tradeshow event held at the Dallas Market Center. “We’ve been doing it for so many years that we know exactly what we want; it doesn’t take long to pick out what we need.”

Jacobs describes the gift inventory at Greensmith as “eclectic”; there are seasonal displays, baby items, figurines, and colorful home decor pieces.

Despite the global pandemic that began last year, Greensmith has enjoyed steady business - and he credits that in large part to their sophisticated online ordering system and their ability to take orders by phone.

Jacobs said that their beautiful arrangements and the quality of the flowers they use - always fresh, never “held over” - have continued drawing customers, even during the unpredictable months since the pandemic began.

“We haven’t been hit hard like the restaurant industry has,” he said with gratitude. “Flowers make excellent gifts for any occasion; everyone loves fresh flowers. Calling or ordering online makes for a safe, socially-distanced, easy way to let someone know you’re thinking of them.”

Jacobs briefly mentioned his other business venture, Addington Hills Cafe, which has been closed for 3 years as of December 2020.

“We were struggling with it the last two years that it was open,” he said. “I can’t imagine trying to keep it afloat during this past year.”

Still, he said that he hasn’t removed any of the fixtures from the downstairs portion of the building, where the cafe was located.

“It’s like a time capsule down there - I haven’t had the heart to dismantle it,” he said.

Jacobs has no immediate plans for that part of the building; instead, he is focusing solely on the ongoing success of Greensmith Floral and Fine Gifts as it enters its 100th year in Battle Creek.

Though he has contemplated retiring off and on over the years, he isn’t ready to hand over the reigns just yet. “I’ve worked seven days a week for 45 years,” Jacobs said with a smile. “I don’t think I’d be much good at retirement.”

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