June 10, 2015 at 3:39 p.m.
Someone You Should Know
Ruth Hempel, owner of Forth Floral
Someone You Should Know
By Kayla Thomason-
RN: Please explain your job.
Hempel: I manage the flower shop, along with my husband. I take care of the fresh design department and the giftware in the store as well as how the office functions, the payroll and all the stuff that goes on in the office. We do all the buying for the business as well.
RN: How long have you held this job?
Hempel: Henning and I moved back here in 1988, well '89 really, and we started buying the business from my parents then, so that's like 26 years.
RN: What is your favorite part of the job?
Hempel: You know what I really like? It's like I get to do a lot of different things. I'm not doing the same thing every day. Sometimes I get to work in the design room, so I can be really creative; sometimes I have to do advertising things, so I do something else or I work in the office and crunch numbers; or sometimes I get to go out and give speeches for people which is fun. So I get to do a lot of different things. I'm really, really fortunate because we have really, really great people that work here. So that's one of my favorite things, is I just work with really, really nice people. I'm really lucky. And it's pretty too, I get to see the sun when the sun's out and the pretty colors.
RN: What is the biggest misconception about the job?
Hempel: I think people don't think about or understand how much work it is. People will come in and cruise in and everything looks really pretty and the sun is shining and it smells really good and they go 'Oh, I'd love to work here,' and they haven't had a chance to realize how much work it is working with a perishable product. It's almost like being on a farm. I'm not in the greenhouse as much as my husband, but he is here every day because he needs to check his crops and make sure everything is watered. It's pretty labor-intensive and I think that's one of the things people don't think about.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Hempel: I love to read and I like to play the piano and listen to music. I like to get outdoors when I can, but if I had my choice on a weekend I'd rather read.
Kayla Breese may be reached at kayla@ rivernewsonline.com.
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