Heartfield Florist has been in operation since 1957. The original owners were Blanche and Jerry Heartfield. A young Danny Pierce knew the Heartfield’s daughter and worked part-time at the florist shop. At age 24, Pierce bought the business from the family after the Heartfield couple retired in 1966. He decided it was a good opportunity to purchase the “shop,” and his instincts were right. Sixty years later, Heartfield Florist is resilient and thriving. We sat down with Danny and talked about his life, his family, and his over sixty years of history with this family owned and operated business.
Danny graduated from high school in 1960. He grew up in Conroe near the San Jacinto River Basin in western Montgomery County, before Lake Conroe existed. He attended Sam Houston State University and, while he was going to college, he worked in construction as a bulldozer operator. He also took a job at the local Dairy Queen. Danny worked for a local contractor and the Carol Construction company, clearing the right of ways for Southwestern Bell telephone company. He worked in that capacity for quite some time before he bought the florist shop. He had saved as much as he could during that time.
When Danny purchased the shop, it was located on the corner of the street, and the building was old and in disrepair. Originally, it was a Zesta Cone ice cream shop and had an old ice cream cone sign that hung out over the street. Back then, State Highway 75 was called “Avenue L.” In 1968, Mr. Heartfield decided to build a new building and completed construction in 1970. The business is run in the same building today. Danny had learned enough about the operation of the business while working there and had no trouble continuing shop operations. “Back in the days when most folks were trusted, I had a key to every church in town,” said Danny. If a delivery needed to be made early in the day, he had a way to open up to make the delivery for a funeral.
Danny and his wife Cindy were married in December 1981 and have three girls together—Sicily, Krystal, and Natalie. Danny was previously married and had two sons and two daughters—Dan, Jason, Debbie, and Joy. The florist shop has always been a family owned and operated business, and all the children have worked there at one time or another.
Krystal shared a story about what it was like to work at the shop and how she felt it was more an expected assignment than a voluntary one. “One day, I was working there, and I sat down for a bit, while everyone else was working hard. Mom and dad saw it as an opportunity to teach me a lesson, so I got fired…but for that week, I was still expected to work, without pay!” Needless to say, Krystal did not let that happen ever again.
Danny ran for office in 2001, was elected in 2002, and took office in 2003 as county judge. He held office for 20 years. During that time, Danny would help at the shop whenever he could, but he credits Cindy and her two daughters with running the majority of the business.
Danny shares that the business is about ninety percent service. The other percentage is split between labor and marketing. “We do whatever it takes to make sure the customer is happy,” he says, “and that means starting early and often finishing late. It’s an all-hands-on-deck operation, all day long and seven days a week.” Danny reflects back to the days he used to drive an ambulance for the funeral home, and he also assisted in preparation for the deceased before a funeral. “We were more than just florists then, and we feel we are the same today.” Cindy added, “It’s very special to have customers comment to us that we made the arrangements for their wedding and now we are doing the same for their children. We get those kinds of comments from our customers all the time, and it means so much to us that we are trusted to take care of their needs over and over again. Bonds and friendships are made, and knowing your customers by name says a lot about the relationships we have grown over the years. We have become a household name, and because of that, we pride ourselves in keeping those standards high.”
When asked about what advice he would offer to young people on running a successful business, Danny says be prepared to work long hours, day and night, nearly every day of the week; do your very best to ensure you have a good team of support staff; and expect to go the extra mile to treat your customers how you would want to be treated. Sicily adds, “Your success is what you put into it. We work a lot of hours and, just because our store is not the largest, we still produce a tremendous amount of product, and that may seem deceiving to some. If you are asked to do something extra, don’t say no. Do what you know is essential to running a successful business no matter the time of day or night.”
Heartfield Florist has a strong history of community involvement. They sponsor all sorts of events and functions, often donating flowers. Danny and Cindy have both served as president of the Walker County Fair Association and served on the Walker County Rural water board. Both have also served on the Boys & Girls Club board. Sicily and Krystal have also served as chairpersons and on different committee positions.
Danny Pierce is an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. One who undertakes, a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk—an employer of productive labor. His daughters would laugh at that last statement and probably have much to say in return. Sicily and Krystal have worked at the florist shop for as long as they can remember, many times twelve plus hours a day, seven days a week.
During this interview, I witnessed the respect shown to Danny while he spoke. The esteem was genuine and continuous, and the love this family has for one another is, without question, a huge part of what makes Heartfield the success it has been for sixty years. It truly is a “Family” owned and operated business.
1525 Sam Houston Ave
Huntsville, TX 77340
(936) 295-5448
huntsvilleheartfieldflorist.com
