The floral design studio of COMPANY
FLOWERS & GIFTS TOO! is located on two floors of the headquarters at: 2107 N. Pollard
Street in North Arlington, opposite the historic Cherrydale Fire
House on Lee Highway just before the Military Road/Quincy Street
intersection.
The studio's phone is 703/525-3062. The international (limited) and
domestic (full) 1-800 number is 1-800-808-2222. Studio doors open
at 9 am each morning but Sunday, and they close at 6 pm.
Driving
Directions and Map
Obviously, the strength of the studio is its people. Here's a rundown on staff:
 |
Marnie
Nicholson, proprietor
Owner, operator, and chief designer, Marnie had the desire to be the impetus
for Company Flowers! She, with a close friend, began designing flowers
for her church, eventually doing weddings, and then creating her own commercial
(non-retail) business in the basement of a caterer-friend. In 1991, she
and her husband bought "Johnson's" flower
shop (never associated with the Johnson's Garden Shops of DC and MD) in
Arlington, and it's grown through her leadership and design skills ever
since. |
 |
Wendy
Bailey, co-owner
Daughter Wendy, after college, joined her parents at Company Flowers before
meeting her husband, Dr Joseph Bailey of the Smtih Business School of the
University of Maryland. While he was obtaining his phD from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, she was a designer and manager at several Boston-area
flower shops. With two small children, she still finds time to assist in
the development of the shop's giftware displays/greeting cards |
 |
John
Nicholson, co-owner
After 30 years of being a newspaper editor, lobbyist, cheif executive of
a national trade association, and Federal government appointee, John "retired" to
promote and support the business of his wife's enterprise. |
 |
Jane
Winter, Chief Designer
Jane manages the design studio of Company Flowers! Before joining the Nicholsons
shortly after they bought the old Johnson's of Arlington, Jane had owned
her own flower shop in Georgetown (with Anne Holcomb, who is in charge
of Company Flowers' shop on Tuesdays!). Jane’s floral designs have drawn
prizes and honors from Nantucket to La Jolla. |
Keystone to the supporting staff “upstairs” meeting the public,
answering the phones, and overseeing the giftware is Mrs. Nicholson.
She supervises our staff of part-time-ers, has developed expertise
on giftware and hand-held designs of flowers as well as mastering
our computer. Several “customer relations” personnel, such as Christine
Orzechowski, develop substantial floral expertise over the years,
with skill and patience.
The stalwarts of the production studio under supervision of Jane
Winter are Bolivian designers Betty Sejas and sister Alicia Soto.
Others provide the vital function of cleaning and preparing the
flowers.
The most visible, and therefore important, job is presenting our
product to the recipient. That's what our drivers are trained to
do! We are fortunate to have a new driver fighting traffic during
each day and whose expertise on the computer is especially known
for helping speed up deliveries!
|