Ask wholesale floral leaders what is on their minds and the answer goes well beyond flowers. That was the message at WFFSA DevX 2026 in Atlanta, where company tours, candid conversations and hands-on education kept circling the same themes: growing without losing focus, developing the next generation of leaders, using technology wisely and staying ready for whatever the market brings.
We asked several DevX participants what they are prioritizing now. Their answers give suppliers and buyers a useful snapshot of where wholesale floral is headed and what it may take to succeed there.
1. Choosing Growth Deliberately
Everyone wants to grow, but leaders are now asking where the right growth comes from. Darin Dewberry, Vice President of Sales at Pete Garcia Company/Garcia Group, wants to widen opportunities with existing customers through innovative products and programs while continuing to build new customer relationships.
Ben Powell, President of Mayesh, sees differentiation as a second driver. Mayesh is focused on distinctive products, quality, service, innovative grower partnerships, e-commerce and expansion into attractive markets. DevX attendees watched both approaches up close during the company visits, which showed that floral has no single growth playbook. The job is to understand where your business creates value and keep strengthening it.
It leaves wholesalers with a question worth sitting with: Why should the customer choose you tomorrow, not simply why do they buy from you today?
2. Investing in the People Already on Staff
Products, pricing and technology draw most of the attention, yet when these leaders look ahead, people matter just as much. Dewberry names education and team development among Garcia Group’s most important long-term investments, and Powell stresses having talented floral professionals throughout the organization.
Alice Givens, President of Carlstedt’s, pushes the idea further with what she calls her “Big Five”: Who are my leaders, and who are we developing to carry the business forward? In an industry built on relationships, product knowledge and experience, that question carries real weight, because knowledge accumulated over decades cannot be replaced overnight.
Events like DevX can speed that development by exposing team members to other businesses, new perspectives and peers throughout the floral supply chain.
3. Technology That Earns Its Place
Innovation was everywhere at DevX, particularly during the AI Workshop & Buildathon. Yet one of the most practical lessons came from a general business question. Givens asks whether the systems her company uses can multiply without multiplying complexity or issues, a handy filter for any new tool.
Done well, technology helps wholesalers communicate faster, capture knowledge, improve productivity and support growth. Without a clear reason behind it, it can just add another process, platform or problem. At the Buildathon, attendees went past talking about artificial intelligence and worked out how to apply it to real work. The takeaway was not simply to “use AI.” It was to find where technology solves an actual business problem and frees people for the work that needs human expertise.
4. Being Ready to Pivot
Tariffs, inflation, economic uncertainty and shifting market conditions are not abstract for floral businesses; they shape decisions every day. Dewberry calls adaptability essential: plan ahead, stay agile and be willing to pivot when circumstances change.
Powell takes an optimistic view of tough environments. Mayesh has historically kept pursuing opportunities through difficult periods, including the Great Recession and the pandemic, and treats disruption as a time when new possibilities can emerge. That is not about ignoring risk. It is about being prepared enough to recognize an opportunity when others may only see uncertainty.
5. Stepping Back From the Daily Fire Drill
Of Givens’ “Big Five,” one question may land hardest with anyone running a busy floral business: Am I working on the future, or am I allowing myself to get pulled back into today’s operations and the next fire? An urgent shipment, customer need, staffing issue or operational challenge is always waiting.
The work that decides where a company stands several years from now rarely shows up marked “urgent.” Developing future leaders, strengthening systems, protecting profitability, understanding changing customers and deciding where to invest all call for leaders to step outside the business now and then and look back at it with fresh eyes.
That is the value of gatherings like DevX beyond the agenda itself. Touring another operation, comparing ideas with peers and hearing how other leaders handle the same pressures can change the questions you bring home.
The SuperFloral Team brings you news, trends and practical ideas for supermarket and mass-market floral professionals. Our editors gather and curate the stories that matter most to floral teams in grocery and retail, from industry news and events to merchandising inspiration and business advice. Have a story idea or news tip? Write to us at editorial@superfloral.com.
