A new chapter blooms: Schultz Floral marks official transition with ribbon cutting ceremony at new location developed by Chester Inc.

On Wednesday, August 26, members of the Valparaiso community gathered together for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the brand new Schultz Floral location on the south side of downtown Valparaiso. This project was completed by Chester Inc., and the ribbon cutting was orchestrated with the Valpo Chamber.

Jessica Ray, owner of Schultz Floral, has been looking forward to this day for a while. As a 39-year-old business owner, she takes pride in being able to help a decorated business like Schultz Floral take a major step towards improvement.

“It’s been over five decades that Schultz Floral has been up on Calumet. It’s no small feat moving a legacy business in a town and community as close-knit as Valpo,” Ray said. “It is an enormous day for us.”

Ray envisions the company being more hands-on with the community in this location. While the next era at Schultz Floral has only just started, Ray already is recognizing the increased opportunities that are available at this new location.

“We’re offering new service lines with public and private workshops on site,” Ray said. “Our design studio is four times as big as it used to be. Cooler space is three times as big. That means we’re going to be able to do more at Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and prom. We already have three private events booked for next month alone, which are workshops — whether it be kids in fairy gardens, adults in flowers, adults with pumpkins, or adults with wreaths.”

Dick Clarke is someone who has supported Schultz Floral for a long time, even dating back to when Ray took over the old location. He is looking forward to the endless possibilities that can stem from this transition.

“I contributed a little bit with the design of the build, so it’s really exciting to see it all come to fruition and open a new chapter,” Clarke said. “I think it’s going to help with expanding everything. There is so much more space here; it will get some downtown traffic, and it offers so many more opportunities for events and other community-driven events or activities.”

Dakota Barnes, project manager with Chester Inc., is proud of his team’s work to not only help relocate, but also revamp Schultz Floral.

“The most satisfying part of being a project manager is seeing how everything comes together,” Barnes said. “Everything went smoothly, and now we get to see the finished product and the joy it brings the owner.”

Three weeks earlier, Chester Inc. helped celebrate a ribbon cutting ceremony in Valparaiso for the new Alpen Haus & The Golf Lodge location in downtown. The company has been active in bringing these facilities to life and supporting community-based businesses.

“We got two more projects coming into downtown Valparaiso right now,” Barnes said. “It just keeps moving and moving out here right now, and it’s awesome to be a part of that.”

Ray is appreciative of Chester Inc.’s involvement with this new location project, noting that she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I have zero regrets. In fact, I would regret not having worked with them,” Ray said. “They were very professional, organized, and brought everything together on time and to my expectations as their customer. It was an honor to work with them, and if I had another commercial project nearby, I would hands down go to them first.”

Since 1969, Schultz Floral has been a staple business in the Valparaiso community. While the ribbon cutting ceremony marks a new era, Ray is confident that this will be one defined by excitement.

“I love the workshops. I love teaching people, being hands-on, hearing their stories, and sharing our stories,” Ray said. “I can’t wait to continue offering our authentic, original floral recipes to the community. That’s a change we made about a year ago, and all of the photography on our website is real. I’m thrilled to be able to expand and continue growing that — not just with fresh florals, but with artificial florals so that they can see the talent of the team behind Schultz Floral.”

To place an order online or to browse the variety of designs and arrangements available at Schultz Floral, you can visit its website.

For more information on Chester Inc., you can visit chesterinc.com.