With roots dating back to 1909, Luepke Flowers & Finds has brought beauty to Clark County, one flower at a time.
The company was founded by the Luepke family and in 1938, Rudy Luepke took over the business. He was an active member of the community for a long time and was named as Vancouver’s mayor for four years in the 1960s. Today, the shop is filled with history as well as beautiful blooms, vintage treasures and other special gift items.
When Bruno Amicci learned that the store’s lease was ending at the downtown location where Luepke’s had been operating for decades and that the store was going to close, he decided to step in.
“I did not want to see a community icon like Luepke closing,” he said.
So, Amicci and his business partner Kerry Kurth took the reins in 2015, where Amicci brings the business expertise and Kurth works on the aesthetics. Now, Luepke Flowers & Finds is celebrating 110 years in business.
After Kurth and Amicci bought the building known as Luepke Station, they began a one-year renovation of the space and added it to the National Registry of Historic Places as well as the Clark County Registry. Today, Luepke Flowers & Finds now employs three florists and they have won the “Best in Clark County” in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
“We are grateful to the community for accepting us and our vision for Luepke Station,” Amicci said.
Amicci explains that there are several things that have made Luepke Flowers & Finds a success over the years, the first being the quality of the products they sell.
“We give folks what they want – a better product – consistently,” he said.
The one of a kind beauty that the Luepke family provided starting in the 1900s has been carried through to today’s day-to-day business operations.
In addition, Amicci said that the shop’s commitment to customer service as well as its ability to keep things local resonates with people in the area.
“We concentrate on high end deliverable floral arrangements – beauty in a vase and flowers for all occasions,” he said. “But, we do it our way. I canceled all contracts with FTD and other wire services. We just do local deliveries. We unleashed the creativity of the florists and are not fettered by outdated designs. Our florists are local, very service oriented, they know their craft, and they know their customers.”
The company offers same day floral delivery to areas in Oregon and Washington, including Portland, Vancouver, Camas, Ridgefield and more. Furthermore, customers can combine their floral orders with other items like chocolate, candles, balloons and soaps.
“The waterfront development and Block 10 will only heighten Vancouver’s popularity as a place to visit or live. I expect property values to continue to increase as core density increases downtown,” Amicci said.
