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Business & Tech

From a Simple Bouquet of Flowers to Designing Your House or Office

Get to know the Ambiance Floral & Design's team and how the business came to open in October 2010.

The Winthrop Town Centre shops gained a new owner in October 2010. 

Juliet Wilks and three partners decided to open Ambiance Floral & Designs. 

The vision the team had was to provide interior design, marketing and floral arrangements for the  home, office, weddings and everyday occasions.

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 The four women, Juliet Wilks, Anne Nymark, Jodi Chadwell and Liz Brewer, met while attending Bell Shoals Baptist Church's Life Group.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the floral business, Wilks runs the floral side of the business. She started out as a floral designer, working in that capacity for six years before buying out the store. She owned, managed, and  did design work for 13 more years before selling the store in Tampa and moving to Brandon to be closer to her daughter and grandson.

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Nymark is a vital part of the floral side of the business. While Nymark is a licensed CPA with her own accounting firm and heavily involved with the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, she was the initial impetus for the business. 

"Anne pushed for over a year to open a store again," said Wilks. With Nymark's involvement in Riverview and Brandon, Wilks said she helps spread the word about the store.

 Chadwell brings eight years of design experience working with Designing Spaces and Chadwell Homes to the boutique side of the store. Chadwell wanted a place to bring design clients to see some of the pieces for their new home or office. Wilks and Chadwell take turns running the store in Winthrop. 

"We have had to learn each other's business to be at all helpful," laughed Wilks.

Brewer is able to help blend the two concepts together with event promotions, wedding planning, and nonprofit event planning. 

Once the team decided to go forward with the idea, they had to find a place that was large enough for their concept, yet intimate. This brought them to 6120 Winthrop Town Centre in Riverview. 

Since opening, Ambiance Floral & Designs has helped several charitable organizations arrange space, centerpieces and add overall appeal to many events and galas that have taken place this year.

"Business has started to pick up more each month with advertising and word-of-mouth business," stated Wilks. "The concept really works well together."

If you are planning a wedding, event, board meeting, want to re-design your office or home, or just need some flowers for that special someone in your life, stop by Ambiance Floral & Designs to see what they can do to help you.

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