United Florist Network ™

About Us

Founded in 2008, United Florist Network is the combined vision of the principals of Black Leaf Studios (a website development and design firm) and LiveStatics (specializing in Search Engine Optimization). After recognizing a need for better, more specialized floral e-commerce websites, Ken Garland and Joe Vega formed United Florist Network to provide florists across the United States and Canada with a new way to increase their online business, profitability, and brand.

Operating out of New York City, United Florist Network currently works with florists in major cities across North America, including New York, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Montreal, Calgary, and Toronto, to name just a few. The primary focus of United Florist Network is to provide a successful and affordable way for small floral businesses to compete effectively with the large companies that currently dominate the marketplace. By giving local shops access to well-designed, high-converting websites, United Florist Network aims to turn the marketplace back in favor of small businesses.

As a small, innovative team, we're able to offer benefits that our competitors cannot, such as quick, personalized service, low costs, and a focus on our clients. Unlike other major floral companies, we are not in competition with our clients. We don't sell flowers – we help YOU sell flowers. We know that any flower shop, no matter the size, only needs one website – if it's one good website! With United Florist Network, flower shops receive what they truly need to succeed.

Ken Garland

Ken has previously held positions as an analyst at BNP Paribas, President of Titan Design, Ltd., and President of BlackLeaf, LLC. Ken is an avid developer and computer enthusiast. As a child, Ken spent countless hours in his grandmother's flower shop. It would seem only suitable that he would end up serving the floral industry. When he is not completely engulfed with work at United Florist Network or furthering his professional development, he spends his time reading the Financial Times, watching Lost, and following the games of the Bundesliga (the national soccer league of Germany) – and cooking gourmet dinners for his wife!

Joe Vega

While working under FTD in 2005, Joe spent three or four days a week visiting flower shops across the United States and Canada. Through his interactions with shop owners and staff, he developed strong insights into the problems facing real, local flower shops today. Joe realized that the websites available to florists within the industry were very limited and sought to create better, easier websites to help local florists generate more business. In his spare time, Joe enjoys playing his guitar, watching Lost, and spending time with his wife and two-year-old son, Noah.

Amy Nightingale

Born, raised, and educated in Upstate New York, Amy's background is in photography and art history. After a few forays into the New York art world, she realized that United Florist Network is the place for her. At United Florist Network, Amy takes multitasking to the next level. From supporting new clients to managing the growing UFN product catalog, she covers a range of jobs. Amy also photographs weddings on the weekends, which has proved to be a fun (and interesting!) experience. When she's not at the office, you can probably find her in front of PBS or reading a Jane Austen novel.