Josephine “Jody” Richards is the president of East Coast Greenery, Inc. and the North Florida district winner of the Small Business Person of the Year award given by the Small Business Administration.
WHAT BUSINESS ARE YOU IN?
“East Coast Greenery is a wholesale producer of flowering annuals and specialty hanging baskets.” She founded the company 21 years ago with nothing but a rented van.
WHY FOCUS ON THIS NICHE?
“Because of the demand for the type of product we grow. There’s a great opportunity for providing color into landscapes in the Jacksonville area.”
WHAT’S YOUR TARGET MARKET?
“Because we’re not a mega company and I’ve created a niche, I try not to keep too many eggs in my customer basket. I market to big box chains and to local landscapers. We also sell to golf courses, hospitals and City parks. I try to spread it out so we’re not dependent on one particular type of customer.”
WHAT DO YOU DO AS PRESIDENT?
“I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business. I am public relations, a psychiatrist to all my employees and sales. Basically, my goal is to keep in contact with my customers. I focus on service. Of course, I oversee all the accounting as well.”
HOW MANY ON STAFF?
17.
WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL?
Richards majored in English literature and minored in ornamental horticulture at the University of Florida.
WHAT RUN A NURSERY FOR A LIVING?
“There have been nurseries in my family since before I was born. My grandmother had one of the first flower shops here [Rivermead]. My great-aunt grew and hybridized azaleas and Camellias. It’s in the blood.”
WHAT’S REWARDING ABOUT HORTICULTURE?
“It’s beautiful stuff and it makes people happy. I’ve never known anyone that was sad to get a flower. It’s a happy business. It’s hard work, but it’s fun.”
WHAT’S CHALLENGING ABOUT IT?
“Financing and the weather. All the things we grow are quickly perishable and most of the crops depend on the weather. There’s a lot beyond my control.”
BORN
Pensacola.
CITY OF FIVE FLAGS
“I was a Navy brat. We traveled all over. My father was a yachtsman in addition to being a pilot so we stayed near the water. My mother remarried and we came to Jacksonville in 1969 from Atlanta.”
ANY OTHER EMPLOYMENT?
“[After college] I left the country and worked on sailboats for a while. I was the stewardess and first mate in the Caribbean on the largest trimaran [a sailboat with three hulls] in the world at the time.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING THE SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR?
“I was completely humbled to have been chosen because there are lots of people out there that are hard workers and have a good business. Maybe [they chose me] because it’s a difficult industry; it’s hard work and there are not a lot of women in the industry. I think it is perseverance. Despite the things that have happened to us in 21 years, we’ve survived and thrived.”
RESIDES
Atlantic Beach.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?
“I have varied interests. I’m a tennis player. I like boating, walking and hiking. I’m an avid traveler and reader. I also collect orchids, enjoy cooking and love the symphony.”
PROFESSIONAL TIES
Richards is the immediate past president of the Northeast Chapter of the Nursery Men and Growers Association and chairs the mayor’s Agricultural Advisory Board.
FAVORITES OF A FLORIST
For entertainment, Richards prefers the movie “E.T.,” the television show “Northern Exposure” or C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogies. When she’s hungry, her choice is Hala’s in Neptune Beach.
WHO’S YOUR HERO?
“Abraham Lincoln. I can only imagine the difficulty he faced having a nation divided and him at the helm. To have made the decisions he made in those dark times and kept himself open to listen to both sides must have took a lot of perseverance. There must have been a phenomenal amount of angels sitting on his shoulders to guide him through. He was very honest, too. I liked the fact that he always returned his library books.”
— by Monica Chamness