Mil-Jeanne Flowers & Axcenz in Portage la Prairie is cooling off, literally, after completing a much-needed renovation to its walk-in cooler.
The expansion comes just in time for the busy summer and fall seasons, giving the shop more room to store fresh blooms and meet growing customer demand.
Owner Kyle Pettinger says the upgrade has been a long time coming.
“We've upgraded a cooler that's long been long needed here at Mil-Jeanne Flowers as we continue to focus on the quality of our product,” she says. “We did go a little bit bigger for those busy times and seasons that come throughout the year as well.”
A long-serving cooler gets a well-earned break
The previous cooler had served the shop for decades. Over time, though, age caught up with it.
“This cooler's been around we figure for over or close to 30 years,” Pettinger remarks. “It had seen its day and served us well, but doors and things like that start to not seal quite as well or close quite as well, so it was definitely time.”
The new unit now measures 16 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 10 feet high; about a 30 per cent increase in overall size. That added height makes a difference, too.
“That is actually why we also went a little bit taller with our cooler this time around,” Pettinger continues. “So that we could utilize all of the space there.”
The result is more flexibility, especially when the store heads into high-traffic holidays like Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Mother’s Day.
Building on decades of family tradition
Mil-Jeanne Flowers has been part of the Portage la Prairie community since 1948. The Pettinger family has owned it for more than 45 years, with Kyle and Alicia Pettinger now running day-to-day operations.
The business is a staple in the community and has become known for custom orders, personal service and supporting Canadian growers whenever possible.
Pettinger shares a recent encounter that speaks to that approach.
“We just had a gentleman in with his family that was passing through from down in Ontario near the Niagara Region,” he mentions. “He’s actually a grower that we use through one of our suppliers. We try and support Canadian products here as much as we can.”
He adds that customers often play a role in shaping what the store offers.
“Lots of our customers often are the ones that come in and share ideas with us, and that's what gets us motivated to keep trying to find ways to change things up,” he says.
From grads to weddings, the work never stops
With graduation season just wrapped up, Pettinger says the store is shifting to weddings while also juggling summer birthdays and anniversaries.
“We're into wedding season, so we are seeing lots of brides,” he adds. “There's no such thing as too short of notice now it seems.”
Even with staff on summer holidays, business remains steady. The upgraded cooler will help the team prep more efficiently and keep arrangements fresher for longer.
“We're still working on our displays inside the cooler and all of our shelving,” Pettinger notes. “But outside of that, things are coming together beautifully.”
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