From bouquets to carnation creatures: Plumeria celebrates 10 years with bold expansion

Editor’s note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s On the Ground Battle Creek series. 

BATTLE CREEK, MI — Elisha Mayes is no shrinking violet when it comes to taking chances that are yielding major growth for her floral business in Battle Creek.

In 2015, Mayes opened Plumeria Botanical Boutique in Urbandale. In 2024, she and her husband/business partner, Bryan, purchased the former Lakeview Hardware building at 660 Capital Avenue SW, which is now Plumeria’s second location.

“We were thinking of expanding just before COVID. Our business blew up, and we were running out of room to do large events. We thought about expanding our building in Urbandale, and that was about the time construction costs skyrocketed,” she says.

The next best alternative was looking for an existing building to purchase rather than expanding the 1,800-square-foot Urbandale location, which includes a meeting space that is rented out for meeting events and bridal and baby showers, in addition to workshops Mayes hosts.

The couple began exploring the 8,000-square-foot Lakeview Hardware property. They went back and forth about the viability of the space on two walk-throughs. On their third and last visit, Mayes says, “We were ready for the challenge.

Chicago. This is something they’re looking forward to offering at the new location.

The event space at the Lakeview location is 20 X 80 feet, shaped like a long, narrow galley kitchen on the main floor. A second floor and a basement are used for storage.

With renovations complete, plans are in the works to do some different things at the Urbandale location. The Mayes own two buildings they purchased along with the main building and just closed on another one, all located behind the flower shop. Plans are in place to demolish two of these structures to create a green space that can host smaller events, such as receptions.

Embracing community, creating success

From day one, Mayes has been all about being a part of the Battle Creek community.

She graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree Fine Arts from Central Michigan University and took a job in banking and later in financial advising. She had a good job, a dog, and a home in Grand Blanc, but realized she wasn’t happy with what she was doing.

“I had this heart and this spirit, but the world kind of steps on you at times, and I learned to be quiet,” Mayes says. A telephone call to her mother in Battle Creek set her life on a course she never expected to follow.

“I was calling my mother, and she said you should come home,” Mayes says. “My mom, my two sisters, their two families, and the rest of my family lives in Battle Creek. I don’t have a relative outside of Battle Creek. For years, they were asking me to come back.”

Mayes’ mother, Sandy, had worked for more than 30 years at the Country Bouquet Flower Shop located on West Michigan Avenue in Urbandale. The owner of the flower shop was planning to sell the business, and at her mother’s urging, Mayes decided to throw caution to the wind and move back.

Turns out that the blending of her arts background with the skills she learned in the financial industry was the right mix for the business she wanted to start.

From day one, she says she knew that forming strong connections with the community and being an active and engaged participant was critical.

“I don’t know if there’s anything I’ve done specifically other than believing in the idea that we give out what we get back,” Mayes says. “People see us supporting school events and giving to nonprofits. If there’s a need or anything we can help with, we try with everything we have. We’re trying to make where we eat, live, and work a better place.”

Plumeria began with two employees, Mayes and her mother, who has since cut back to spend more time with grandchildren. The business now employs a total of seven people between its two sites.

“I have an amazing staff. We have the foundation of a business running where everyone knows what to do and does it. This gave me the time to concentrate and manage the expansion in Lakeview.”

Her floral arrangements are her word-of-mouth

“The creativity has always been here. We’re always trying new things to make our flowers more noticeable,” Mayes says. “We decided to paint and sculpt flowers and make wearable flowers and offer those kinds of things to our city.”

People are noticing.

“We had a lady come in who has never shopped with us before. She had attended a funeral and said the floral arrangement that stuck out to her were ours, and that prompted her to come and see us.”

Plumeria’s reach has grown to include national and international clientele.

When the war in Ukraine started, Mayes says she felt like she needed to learn more about that country’s culture and bring awareness to what was happening there. Her research included information about elaborate flower crowns that are created to represent the towns their wearers come from.

“I was contacted by a lady in Canada whose mother was living in Ukraine. She asked me to make a flower crown for her mother. I shipped it to her and she took it with her when she visited her mom,” says Mayes of one of her favorite floral creations.

Another Plumeria original was a life-size sculpture of a Detroit Lions football player. Her mother sculpted it out of chicken wire, she glued the flowers on, and it was ready to go within 48 hours. Handmap Brewing displayed the flower sculpture during a football party, and many selfies were taken with it.

Mayes says she constantly challenges herself to think outside the bouquet.

Her Carnation Creatures, animals created out of flowers, caught the attention of a movie producer in California, who asked for a Panda character, which mimicked a panda character in his movie, to be shipped to him.

“Those unique things are how people find us and we pop up,” she says. “We get international orders weekly through our website, and we’re regularly shipping nationally each week.”

Retail flowers ordered through Plumeria’s website represent 20 percent of their business. Some of these sales include add-ons also sold at Plumeria, like chocolate and candles. A good 60 percent of revenue is generated  through events and workshops hosted at the two locations. The remainder of their business comes from things like corporate installations.

As a way to thank her customers and the community for their support, Mayes and her husband and their employees are hosting celebrations in honor of Plumeria’s 10th anniversary. The first gathering will be at the Urbandale location from noon to 6 p.m. on September  26, and a second gathering will take place at the Lakeview location on September 27, also from noon to 6 p.m.