As part of a series, Rapid Growth is speaking with nominees of several "best of" categories of the 20th Annual Neighborhood Business Awards, a partnership between
Neighborhood Ventures and the
Neighborhood Business Alliance that honors businesses across the city that have added to the quality of life in their locales.
Best Business Exterior: Ball Park Floral and Gifts, 8 Valley SEAt 105 years, Ball Park Floral is one of Grand Rapids' most enduring businesses. And the neat and tidy, always-in-good-repair exterior of the store at Fulton and Valley shows the care that goes into this family-owned business.
Recent renovations to the showroom included removing several interior walls, which doubled the space. A walk-in cooler allows customers to choose individual flowers for bouquets or arrangements, or they can select ready-made arrangements to go.
"Our designers are always on hand so customers can have something made while they wait," says General Manager Heidi Poll. "And we have a large selection of silk arrangements with seasonal colors and flowers."
Other offerings include green plants, tropicals, such as orchids and ginger, balloons for all occasions and a wide selection of gifts.
Ball Park Floral designs flowers for weddings, sympathy, and corporate events and delivers within the Greater Grand Rapids area. The store also provides a wire service for ordering flowers and plants to be delivered outside the city.
"Earlier today we wired orders to Texas and to California and Ohio," Poll says.
The business employs 17 full- and part-time staff.
Other nominees are: Adobe In and Out, 617 W Fulton St
Café Aromas, 880 Grandville Ave SW
DeVries Companies for Bridge Street Depot, 528 Bridge
Eastown Business Association/Janette Tazzia
Gillespie Funeral Services, 1865 Eastern SE
The Green Well Gastro Pub, 924 Cherry SE
Sundaes in the Heights, 2404 Eastern
Wealthy Street Bakery, 608 Wealthy SE
Best New Business: Blu House Properties, 1426 Wealthy SEDespite the struggling real estate market, one-year-old Blu House Properties has sold 21 properties to out-of-state investors so far this year. And while Ryan Ogle says his firm doesn't really have a niche market and sells all types of residential and commercial properties, one has to wonder.
Ogle, 29, is the owner of the company and a licensed Realtor. He got into the real estate game at age 20 after painting a number of Heritage Hill houses.
"I did about 30 Heritage Hill houses, and one day I said: Why paint houses when you can sell them? I think it was just a natural progression," Ogle says.
Blu House Properties brings in out-of-state investors and shows them around town to see what the city's like and to view available properties.
"We brought in a guy from Japan and groups of people from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kentucky and Chicago, all investor groups," Ogle says. "They purchase real estate here for investment. A lot of times, they're bank owned properties. We rehab the houses for them, then our property management company (Blu House Property Management) manages them. If we can get them to invest in these homes that are sitting empty it helps out the neighborhoods."
Chris Thompson is a partner with Ogle in Blu House Property Management, which operates out of the same location as Blu House Properties.
Other nominees are:Beauty House, 950 Wealthy SE
Commute Bicycle Shop, 120 S. Division
Unlocal Clothing Co., 62 S. Division
Wing Heaven, 1808 Monroe NW
Wired Espresso Bar, 1503 Plainfield NE
Rapid Growth is proud to sponsor the People's Choice award in each category of the Neighborhood Business Awards. Click
here to cast your online vote for your favorites.
The awards ceremony on November 5 is from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre. The public is invited.
Source: Heidi Poll, Ball Park Floral and Gifts; Ryan Ogle, Blu House Properties
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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