On Aug. 1, Precious Petals of downtown Hollister came under new ownership. Now known as Expressions Floral, Lisa Filice and her husband Michael bought the business after the previous owners let them know they would be retiring.
Lisa, who originally worked in a pediatrician’s office, came into the floral industry after a patient’s father asked her to work for him in his wholesale flower business.
Stating that she “fell in love with everything” about the profession, more than 10 years later The Filices own their own wholesale flower company, wedding and events division, as well as Frank’s Garden Florist shop in Gilroy.
Working within San Benito County for weddings and knowing people in the area, purchasing Precious Petals felt like the next step for the Filices.
“Hollister is a growing area and it felt like a natural addition,” Lisa stated. “We are excited to become more involved in the community and work with local organizations.”
The new owners plan to get to know the community by identifying and responding to its needs. In addition to selling floral arrangements for all seasons of people’s lives, Expressions Floral will soon offer classes on-site which will include floral design and succulent arrangements. There are also plans to open a gift boutique in the shop.
After taking a year off, store manager Katy Dorrance came back because she loves the floral industry.
“I think this town could benefit from having another store that’s a gift boutique in addition to having quality floral arrangements,” Dorrance said.
Among the staff that will create floral arrangements on-site is Sandy Lesnewsky. Before working for Filice, Lesnewsky was the director of retail floral design at Mission College in Santa Clara.
Asked what drew her to creating floral arrangements, Lesnewsky said she enjoys her colleagues and likes having a profession that brings joy to others.
“It’s a wonderful profession,” Lesnewsky said. “It brings beauty into the world. It’s constantly changing and always creative.”
For more information, visit Expressions Floral or the store’s Facebook page.