Vincent Herbert grew up helping out at the Flower Niche every summer when he was a kid. Now, he’s taking the reins and keeping the business in the family.
Vincent and his wife Jessica Herbert officially bought the building at 1902 Water St. in Port Huron on Nov. 10 from his grandmother, Vivian Herbert, who owned it for 40 years. She placed it on the market because it became too much to manage while recovering from a stroke she had in December. She sold it through Real Estate One.
“I was quite attached to the building, and I thought it would be good for our family to join,” Vincent Herbert said.
Vivian Herbert was not available for comment. Vincent Herbert said he thinks his grandmother is happy to keep her legacy alive.
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The Herberts have some plans to expand the business. They want to keep the historic look of the building, but plan on redoing the floors and revamping the upstairs apartment. The apartment, which is being used as storage for now, will eventually become a wedding consultation office.
“We’re looking to take a strong stance and presence on weddings,” Vincent Herbert said.
The couple also wants to expand the gift area of the store. Vincent Herbert said this would give variety to customers who would rather send a gift basket rather than just flowers.
Another way the Herberts are revamping the business is by putting it on social media. The Flower Niche can now be found on Facebook, Instagram, Google and Tik Tok.
The Flower Niche got a new shipment of poinsettias delivered to the store last week. The Herberts want to go all out for the holiday season. Jessica Herbert said they bought the business during the busiest time of year.
“It was like jumping in with everything we got and we had to figure everything out quickly,” she said.
The Flower Niche already has Christmas flower arrangements preordered. Additionally, Jessica Herbert said Thanksgiving centerpieces were popular requests.
Brian Rowbothem is the real estate agent that helped sell the Flower Niche. He said he is ecstatic to see the business remain within the Herbert family.
“I think it’s pretty awesome that this could happen and that these two can take over to continue the family business,” he said.
The Herberts want to keep the Flower Niche as a staple of Port Huron. They want to maintain the relationships Vivian Herbert had before and create new ones. Additionally, they want to stand out to people.
“When we get an order in, we’re always adding extra flowers to try to make it more than the standard,” Vincent Herbert said. “We want our quality to really speak for itself.”
The Flower Niche delivers primarily to Port Huron, Marysville, Fort Gratiot, St. Clair and Kimball Township. The Herberts have expanded the businesses delivery range to Marine City and Lexington as well.
The Flower Niche’s hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.
