CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman Florist marked six decades of serving the community Wednesday, Sept. 9, with an anniversary celebration and ribbon-cutting at its Fourth Street Southeast location.
The milestone brought together employees, customers, friends and members of the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce to recognize the business’s six decades of service.
Its history stretches from Geneva “Gigi” King’s purchase of an established flower shop in 1966 to the generations of designers and employees carrying her vision forward today.
King’s granddaughter, Taylor McHan, reflected on her grandmother’s determination and the memories created inside the family business.
“Sixty years ago, Gigi opened Cullman Florist,” McHan said. “While I haven’t been around for all of that, I have been around for about two-thirds of it.”
McHan recalled spending afternoons at the florist and watching her grandmother perform the physically demanding work that came with operating the business.
“I have this vivid memory of her, in her tiny little body, carrying two 5-gallon buckets full of sand,” McHan said. “That just kind of stands out as the work ethic that she had and her dedication to making this a community space for everyone in Cullman.”
King purchased what was then known as Brighton Ward’s in 1966. The flower shop had been operated by Gladys Bright and Sylvia Ward since the Depression era, according to The Cullman Tribune’s archives.
After King took ownership, employees initially answered the telephone by identifying the business as “Cullman Florist, formerly Brighton Ward’s,” King’s daughter, Annette King McHan, recalled during the florist’s 50th anniversary in 2016.
A Holly Pond native, King began learning floral design as a teenager while working for an aunt of her future husband who owned a flower shop.
She later became known not only for her designs, but also for a relentless work ethic and her involvement in Cullman’s civic and business community.
The florist was initially located on Ward Avenue before moving to the east side of Cullman around 1980. King retired for health reasons in 1999, placing the business in the hands of Annett King McHan and her husband, Terry.
King died Nov. 7, 2010. Less than six months later, Cullman Florist’s building was destroyed during the April 27, 2011, tornadoes.
The business reopened in the Warehouse District before returning to the city’s east side in 2018 at its current location at 119 Fourth St. SE.
Through every move and transition, Taylor McHan said the people carrying the business forward have remained committed to King’s original vision.
“We’re so grateful for everybody who has continued that legacy,” McHan said. “Carla and Steph have just poured their hearts into this and made this space everything that she could have dreamed.”
Steph Cook said she and Carla Fussell began planning for the florist’s future after realizing they would be responsible for guiding its daily operations.
“We looked back and we set a five-year plan,” Cook said. “We started short-term and long-term, and occasionally we revisit, ‘What have we met?’ We’ve met nearly every one of those goals.”
Cook said some goals changed as the business evolved.
“There are a few of them we decided just weren’t that important, and that’s OK,” Cook said. “We’ve learned that a pivot is perfectly fine.”
One priority, however, has remained unchanged: the importance King placed on serving the Cullman community.
“One of the most important things that we draw on every single day is how important community was to Geneva,” Cook said. “It worked for her, so why reinvent the wheel?”
That community-centered approach has allowed the florist’s employees to become part of customers’ lives during celebrations, losses and other meaningful occasions.
“We realized, meeting people and those relationships that we’ve built, some of our best friends and family, our chosen family, are now people we’ve met through the florist,” Cook said. “It’s literally the best place in the world. You can work, and you can help people through every day of their lives, the good, the bad and the other.”
Cook thanked those who attended the anniversary celebration as well as the customers who have supported Cullman Florist throughout its 60 years.
“We really appreciate it, and we appreciate you each and every day, not just today, every day, that you trust us with your special events and those special occasions,” Cook said.
Cullman Florist is located at 119 Fourth St. SE and is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. The business can be reached at 256-734-0263. Find it online at www.cullmanflorist.com.
