Camelback Florist

Kammie Kay owns and operates Camelback Florist in Scotsdale, Arizona.  She and her husband recently moved to Arizona from Woodland Hills, California.   When she arrived in Arizona, she decided that she didn’t want to find another job. “I just didn’t want to work anymore!” states Kammie.  “I wanted to have some time for my family and myself, time to relax and get to know my new surroundings.”

But that didn’t last very long.  Kammie realized that she was getting bored quickly and needed to do something constructive with her time.  “I was climbing the walls!” she stated.  “I knew I needed to do something to keep me busy but I didn’t want to work for someone else again.  I wanted to run my own business.”  She wasn’t sure where to start to find a business that would suit her.  So, she sought the assistance of Christina Barnes with VR Business Brokers to help her find the right match for her.

Christina found the perfect place for Kammie.  The seller of Camelback Florist, an upscale florist in Scotsdale, was retiring after operating the business since 1990.  She took the business over from her mother who operated the business since its inception in 1982.  “The business was doing very well and I loved the creative aspect of operating a florist” stated Kammie.

The two agreed that Cambelback was the right business for Kammie.  She then applied for a business loan through a local bank.  “I didn’t like their response time. They were lackadaisical and slow to move things along” she commented.  Christina then put Kammie in touch with Lori Abreu, Regional Account Manager for CIT Small Business Lending Corporation, operating from Tempe, Arizona.  Kammie said “I immediately felt comfortable with Lori.  We really connected; she made me feel at ease and assisted me through the entire loan process with such professionalism.   The most impressive part was that my loan closed in just over a month from the time I applied.”

“Kammie had plenty of management experience and knew how to run a business.  She was excited about owning her own business and had the drive to keep the process moving.  It was a pleasure working with her” states Lori.

 “I kept the existing staff to assist me with the smooth transition of ownership as well as the daily operations of the business.  We have two full-time designers who bring a lot of experience the table.  We have a wide variety of the freshest cut flowers and beautiful blooming plants. The business is doing great and I’m so glad to be a part of its continued success” said Kammie.