DANVILLE — For 50 years, Scott Edwards has provided the Danville-area community with floral arrangements to celebrate life’s most cherished moments.
Edwards began arranging flowers in her parents’ basement when she was just 17 years old.
Today, Edwards continues to own and operate the 15,000-square-foot shop, Scott’s Floral, Gifts & Greenhouse, with the help of his wife, Judy, and twin daughters, Holly Hoffman and Heather Marks.
“I never thought I’d see the ‘Big 50,'” Edwards said.
Edwards, the florist, spoke about the hardships her family-run business has faced over the years, which she calls “the three F’s”: fire, flood and flu.
Despite struggles along the way, the business, originally called Flowers by Scott, has expanded from Edwards’ parents’ basement to a butcher shop and multiple locations across the Valley.
The Edwards family once ran four stores at one time, and the store has been firmly established in its current location on Northumberland Street since 1980.
From the early days, the floristry was a family business.
“The kids came to work with us. They used to ride their bikes around here all the time,” Judy Edwards said of the store.
Judy Edwards says the only time she and her husband ever fought was about business during their marriage: “He’s the creative type, and I’m the numbers type,” she says.
Two of Edwards’ three daughters are now adults and will take over the family business as their parents gradually retire.
Edwards said he and his wife left the store for three weeks this summer. “I’ve never done that in 50 years,” he said.
Hoffman and Marks did not disappoint their parents. “They did really, really well,” Edwards said.
Hoffman said the store “ran like a well-maintained machine” after she and Marks took over their parents’ business.
Edwards has been in business in the area for 50 years and said the people of Danville are like family.
“We did their wedding, their children’s wedding and their children’s wedding — three generations,” he said.
Judy Edwards said she and her family are incredibly grateful for the community support over the years.
“I think we owe our success to the people in the community,” she said. “This is a great place to do business.”
Scott Edwards admitted he’s not sure if he’ll ever retire completely. “This is what I love to do,” he said.
As for the future of the family business, “it’s up to my daughters,” Judy Edwards said.
Hoffman said he hopes to hold classes for local residents and give customers the opportunity to “make and take home” something from his store.
The twins also hope to work more with other businesses in the area and with the Danville Business Alliance.
Hoffman said shopping local is important to her, and if a customer can’t find what they’re looking for at Scotts, she tries to direct them to another small business in the area.
Hoffman and Marks agreed they would do everything in their power to carry on their parents’ legacy.
“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but the rewards are good,” Hoffman said.