Gainan's Flowers and Garden Center, Billings, MT, has been named the recipient of the sixth annual Retail Florist of the Year award, sponsored by WF&FSA and Florists' Review  magazine. The winner was announced March 7, 2008 at the WF&FSA Convention in Tampa, FL.

The award recognizes the most outstanding retail florists in the United States and Canada. The top professional retail florists from across both countries are judged on visual merchandising, store design and image, advertising and promotions, flower variety and quality, customer service, employee training, non-floral product lines, business achievement, floral industry involvement and community involvement.

Roses & More, Inc., Spokane, WA, nominated Gainan's Flowers and Garden Center and endorsed its entry in the contest. To be eligible, all contest participants must be endorsed by a WF&FSA-member wholesale florist.

When Grant Gainan, upon leaving his job as a firefighter, announced that he was opening a flower shop, his wife, Betty responded: "But I don't know a petunia from a geranium." That was all about to change.

On April 28, 1951 the Billings Gazette published a store opening announcement for this year's Retail Florist of the Year winner. The nearly full-page notice read like this: "Presenting a most unique display of unusual flowers, plants, centerpieces, corsages, floral supplies and tropical fish."

In 1955, as business increased, Gainan's moved to a larger rented location and the family that included three children, Chuck, Kathy and Mick moved into an attached apartment where the business of running a flower shop became a family affair.

Over the next 35 years the store was renovated and expanded nine times. When Grant passed away in 1978, his sons, Chuck and Mick ran the store side-by-side with Grant's, wife Betty.

By 1980 the business had grown to employ a staff of 46. Operations expanded in 1980 with the opening of Gainan's Flowers West later expanding to Gainan's Square in 1986.

In 1983 the Heights Garden Center was established and over the next 17 years the two existing greenhouses blossomed into 12 with an addition of 4 cold frames and 3 acres.

in 1988 a 35,000 square-foot downtown store was unveiled on a site that, years earlier, Grant had predicted would be home to the business that he and his wife began. This flagship location later added a warehouse to accommodate the ever expanding needs.

Although this is truly a family affair the Gainan's are quick to credit the talented staff and the secret for their company's success. Staff peaks at 150 in-season and around 100 for off-season.

As a retail experience, Gainan's is second to none. State of the art facilities showcase the best of fresh flowers and plants that are meticulously cared for. Tropical fish have been replace with trendy giftware, gourmet kitchen and decorative accessories that rival the best of the big name specialty retailers.

Gainan's progressive approach to marketing includes television, radio, print, direct mail and an easy to navigate and personalized 40-page website. Coupled with consumer classes and impressive editorial contribution to area media, Gainan's have established themselves as Montana's flower and garden experts. Their visibility is so effective that in 1995 Gainan's received the Nations Leader Top of Mind Awareness Award for their 72% consumer awareness. This was the highest rating across the nation in all industry categories and it remains so to this day.

Their focus on the customer inspired a no excuses, no interrogation, listen without prejudice guarantee of satisfaction that keeps a community of customers returning to Gainan's.

And whether it's the local community or the floral industry at large, they are activists, involved in causes, charities and organizations too numerous to mention.