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1900-1918 - A new business idea
In 1908 Max Hübner, a florist from Berlin, founded together with 98 colleagues an association
for the transmission of flower gifts. A chapter on the emergence of an industry, a business idea which is still living after a hundred of years.
Left:
First delivery car of the flower house Theodore Huebner in Berlin - a picture from the
turn of the century.
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1920 - flowers were part of the life
Left:
Lush floral decorations stood for the lifestyle of the "high society" in the beginning of the 20th Century. Flowers were, just as fine furniture, a standard in any high-class Hotel.
Right:
The ladies and gentlemen in the "Golden Twenties" danced the
"Charleston" and wore hat - the ladies with floral decoration.
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1933-1945 - the dark years
In these years, the European Fleurop knew heavy early days. In many countries, there was great unemployment. Not least, Fleurop also survived by a resolution of the Board, to move the headquarters in 1936 from Berlin to Switzerland. The years of the Second World War were hard. With some countries, the order traffic had to be stopped completely and only under the most difficult conditions, the flower order transmission could be continued with the few remaining countries.
When finally in 1945 the peace bell tolled, the delegates from various European countries met with representatives of FTD, America and Interflora British Group, with the goal to deliver flower gifts around the globe in future. Today, Fleurop-Interflora processes over 25 million orders per year.
Above:
Transport Bicycles for flower delivery in 1935 - neither because of automobile hostility nor because of a better environmental knowledge bikes were used for the delivery of flowers, but because this way of delivery was inexpensive and fast.
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1950 - The Flower Wonder Years
In 1950, the economy recovered slowly everywhere and the call for the liberalization of the international trade, ie the dismantling of the trade and payment restrictions, could be heard. In foreign exchange, a glimmer of hope for the future distinguished. In the following years the flower trade flourished, and the Fleurop flourished. The primary objective of Fleurop was and is to offer the customers an impeccable service - worldwide.
Left:
The first "hard drive" in the Fleurop headquarters. The acquisition of the first IBM computer system of the series 1440 was not without controversy in 1964.
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1960s - increased advertising
On the occasion of the 25 years anniversary, the organization launched for the first time after the war advertising on a larger scale. The main slogan was "Say it with flowers by Fleurop". These efforts were intensified in the 60s.
Left:
A selection of advertising posters from the 60s. |
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1980
In the eighties, the launch of a global electronic order transmission and clearing system was another milestone. It was established to enhance the communication with and among members, to simplify the transmission and clearing of orders and, last but not least, to simply the connection between the countries and groups.
Left:
The first computer system for the transmission and the clearing of orders. |
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2000...
The Fleurop-Interflora Organisation is linked to the most advanced telecommunications technology. Looking back to 1910 it was the telegraph that actually made flower ordering possible and today it is the computer aided information processing and the New Medias as e.g. Internet that are the driving forces behind Fleurop-Interflora's fast development. Technical improvements finally made it possible to replace the slogan 'flowers around the world' by 'flowers within hours worldwide'.
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