PEMBERVILLE — Woodcreek Drieds offers wholesale dried flowers to businesses around the nation. The
family-owned business takes orders, packages products and ships flowers out of a barn built on their
property 20 years ago.
In 1999, owner Jody Bryant acquired the business from her former employers. After working at the company
for 12 years, she was able to take over the company and turn it into something of her own.
“It’s such a specialty niche,” Bryant said. “But every week, we get new customers.”
While dried flowers are a niche line of products, the business isn’t exempt from the obstacles small
businesses face. Since taking over, shipping costs have tripled, and Bryant has had to factor that into
prices.
Bryant also faces flower-specific problems, too. Sometimes vendors go out of business, certain products
are unavailable or a certain flower may be out of season. But Bryant offers customers substitutions, she
said.
“I would have to say it’s always changing, and you have to change right along with it and get the
products they’re looking for,” Bryant said. “But they’re real flowers, so there’s only one crop per
year. They don’t make them in factories, so once they’re harvested, that’s all there is.”
Yet over the years, inventory has expanded. The business offers new flowers and herbs based on what’s in
season and what customers tend to buy. Products include dried berries, cones, fruits, branches, grasses,
grains and wreaths with multiple products in each category.
“You’re always searching for new products. That’s probably the biggest struggle,” Bryant said.
When Bryant isn’t looking for new inventory, she and her family try to fulfill orders as quickly as
possible. The business has a quick turnaround on orders that customers appreciate, she said.
The business fulfills local, state and national orders mainly with the help of Bryant’s daughter, Elisha
Robinson. Robinson also takes photographs of products and operates the Woodcreek Drieds website.
“I know a lot of times people say mothers and daughters don’t work well together, but I think we do
pretty well,” Bryant said.
The mother-daughter team has worked together since acquiring the business, even through the birth of
Robinson’s children, now 11 and 15 years old.
And Bryant has the help of her daughter’s children, which saves money on babysitters and gives the kids
some extra spending money.
Her son helps out occasionally, but Bryant said he has personal endeavors which she respects. Meanwhile,
she helps her son by watching his twin, 2-year-old boys.
“We just watch them while working until they won’t have to go to a babysitter,” Bryant said of her
grandchildren. “They like going out to the barn, helping us fulfill orders. They have a lot of fun.”
And Bryant enlists the help of other family members too.
“My husband is the handyman,” Bryant said, laughing. “I usually call on him when something breaks.”
Bryant realizes that Woodcreek Drieds wouldn’t have become a thriving business without this help. While
selling dried flowers may be a specialty niche, Bryant and family have found their place within it.
“I always say that my kids were raised in a barn,” Bryant said.