Celebrating 75 Years with FTD – Flowers by Gerard

Continuing the momentum, FTD is thrilled to recognize more members of our florist network who are celebrating 75 years of membership this year. We honored these long-standing members with a shop visit and an anniversary plaque to display in their storefronts as a token of appreciation from FTD. Celebrating 75 years of membership and learning about the hometown stories associated with these floral shops has been a privilege.

During these shop visits, we were able to discuss origin stories with several shops, one of which being Flowers by Gerard, in Butler County, PA.

Flowers by Gerard 

It all started 48 years ago when now owner, Diane, was in high school and expecting her first child. Looking for work to support her daughter, she noticed a “help wanted” sign on the business doors of the original Gerard Boeh Flowers located in the North Side of Pittsburgh. Diane was hired and truly hasn’t looked back since.

In 2019, Gerard Boeh decided to step away from the business. This led to Diane and her family, including her daughter, Danielle, to begin what we know today as “Flowers by Gerard”. This new beginning began in 2020 with all intentions to continue Boeh’s legacy. Danielle’s partner ironically being named Gerard also made this an easy transition to carry on the name, adding just another element of how Gerard’s was meant to be for them.

Unfortunately, in February of 2020, Diane was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, forcing her to step away from the business while receiving treatment. A short time later, the global pandemic hit, and challenges arose. Through these trials and tribulations, the family persevered and worked hard to keep their floral business thriving. Luckily, over the past three years, Flowers by Gerard rose to the challenge as well as Diane, who is now thankfully in remission.

Throughout the years, Flowers by Gerard chose to keep their FTD membership alive as new owners. This FTD member impacts their local community by bringing memorable moments to life in the city of Pittsburgh and all areas in between. Danielle attributes their business’s success to their employees, stating, “The employees are the backbone of the business and always find a way to create a masterpiece that our customers can be proud of”.

"The employees are the backbone of the business and always find a way to create a masterpiece that our customers can be proud of.”

In the future, Flowers by Gerard hopes to continue presenting a superior product with exceptional customer service skills. They would also like to see the younger generations come into the industry and learn the skills necessary to maintain a small business like theirs. Congratulations on 75 years of membership, Flowers by Gerard!