The Michigan Floral Foundation added a familiar name to its Hall of Fame last month.
Dwight Larimer, AAF, PFCI, president of Design Master Color Tool, became the 11th individual to receive the honor during a ceremony Thursday, October 24, at the University Club of Michigan State in East Lansing.
Upon graduating from the State University of New York at Albany, Larimer went to work in Berlin, New York, for W.J. Cowee, a firm specializing in the manufacturing of wooden floral picks and plant stakes. Larimer rose up the ladder, becoming vice president of sales and marketing in 1979.
In 1983, Larimer moved out west to join Colorado Dye and Chemical, the forerunner of DESIGN MASTER color tool. He immersed himself in the psychology of color and learned unique ways creative professionals could use color to advance their designs, such as DM’s “Just for Flowers” line of aerosols that allows retailers to achieve nearly any color they wanted—a godsend when a particular variety of flower isn’t available.
Larimer was also instrumental in developing the Color Concepts program, partnering with other suppliers to market complementary products in similar colors—a merchandising concept that helped both wholesalers and suppliers.
Larimer’s dedication to the industry has taken many forms.
He’s served as a volunteer leader with the Society of American Florists for more than 30 years, as a committee, council and board member. He led the association through two major structural reorganizations and has funded Floral Management’s Marketer of the Year Award for more than 20 years. He is also a regular participant in SAF’s annual lobbying effort, Congressional Action Days. In 2016, SAF welcomed him into The Floriculture Hall of Fame.
Additionally, Larimer served as a president of Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Assocation from 2002 to 2003 and is the current chairman-elect of the American Floral Endowment. He has also been involved in AIFD and local and state organizations, where he has built last relationships to help those organizations advance floriculture.
“Dwight has been a fixture in the floral industry for 40 years,” said Rodney Crittenden, CEO of the Michigan Floral Association. “His record of service made him an outstanding contributor to the success of not only his own company but also many floral industry organizations.”