RHINELANDER, Wisc. (WJFW) –What started off as a small greenhouse in the middle of a lumberjack town has blossomed into a fourth-generation family business. This October, Forth Floral is celebrating its 124th anniversary.
Today, Ruth Hempel, headed into work for another day of arranging flowers just like her great-grandmother did 124 years before her.
After immigrating from Luxembourg, Ruth’s great grandparents built the business and passed it down…until it landed in Ruth’s generation. As the business continued to grow, so did the Forth Floral family.
After Hempel’s great-grandparents immigrated from Luxembourg to Rhinelander, they built Phillips Greenhouse. In 1928, Hempel’s grandmother bought the business and renamed it Forth Floral. As the business continued to grow, so did the Forth family. Hempel’s mother then became the owner. After a brief time away from Rhinelander, Hempel and her husband returned to continue the family business
“My grandparents owned the business when I was little and I grew up here.” Said Hempel “And it’s such a good environment. And it makes people happy. I mean that’s the bottom line of this business.”
Flowers have been a part of Hempel’s life since birth. After growing up in the greenhouse, she went to college to receive a degree in horticulture. Her husband’s family even owned a greenhouse. It just made sense for her to come home and continue the family tradition.
“We just took a hard look and said ‘why not move back to Rhinelander?’” Said Hempel “It’s a great place. It’s a great town and we’ve got this place that’s been in my family. So, it was a good decision. We’ve been very happy.”
There have been many changes over the course of 124 years. Flower trends have changed. Many things have become computerized. The Greenhouse has become more energy efficient.
“That’s kind of fun.” Said Hempel “Just seeing and keeping up with changes in style and things like that.”
Hempel has fond memories of the business from the very beginning. Owning this business has allowed her to make many connections in the Rhinelander community. She credits the success of Forth Floral to a century’s worth of employees.
“There’s just so many stories over the years.” Said Hempel “You know, we couldn’t have done this, we couldn’t be here for all these years without the support of fantastic people that work with us.”
The Hempels’ are hopeful that their daughter, who recently began working in the flower shop, will carry on the family tradition.