Main Street Flowers and More Closes its Trophy and Engraving Departments
Kilgore, Texas-based shop closes engraving department, but still offers other services.
Main Street Flowers and More, located in Kilgore, Texas, closed its trophy and engraving departments in December of 2018. The owner and manager, Martha Fertitta, states it is due to lack of profit.
The shop first began about 30 years ago as a printing business. As the shop grew, other departments were added, including floral and engraving services. “I took it over when it was closing and had to learn everything from scratch. The people that had it before, had it for 30 years. They were renting my building and were going to close it, so I took it over. We bought the laser and learned how to use it through Epilog training and playing with it,” Fertitta elaborates.
Once Fertitta took over the business nine and half years ago, she explains that they added a laser engraver on top of the rotary engraver they already had.
The local chamber of commerce, the fire department, and school system were all part of the shop’s engraving and personalization clientele. According to Fertitta, these customers mostly ordered plaques but very few trophies, citing that youth sports teams often get their trophies over the internet these days.
Fertitta states they are sending customers to someone else for engraving services now.
The shop will still offer notary work, copy, faxes, packages for shipping, and a pack-and-ship service. Main Street Flowers and More will continue to keep the packaging department open to serve the local community. Fertitta states the priority of the shop is to “serve the public and keep it open.”
The shop is selling its rotary engraver and laser engraver, along with other inventory. Fertitta mentions she would like to sell the supplies to someone who is starting a small business.
Visit mainstreetflowersandmore.com for more information.