Make Be-Leaves

Susie Ameche could not believe her eyes. Right before her was an artificial ficus tree that she had borrowed from her parents for a corporate function. "The tree looked dead or half-dead, at least," she said.

From then on, a combination of persistence and modern design techniques helped the former dance aerobics teacher find better, more real-looking alternatives. Taking baby steps, Ameche started Make Be-Leaves by purchasing and re-selling one artificial tree or plant at a time.

Roots

She started by working out of her house.  The demand grew, the deadlines became tighter, and the space became smaller. "My son used to complain that he couldn't watch his cartoons properly because there were so many boxes, plants, and supplies in and around our living room," said Ameche.

She moved the business to a warehouse, then an office. With about $10,000 as start-up capital, the self-taught entrepreneur learned by doing things on her own—winging it and making the requisite mistakes. She credits her degree in Studio Art from Loyola Marymount University for "jumpstarting" her creativity and cultivating that eye for beauty.

Branching Out

Hotel chains, restaurants, offices and retail stores make up most of Make Be-Leaves's clientele. Opting for the low maintenance appeal of artificial greenery, demand for topiaries to trellises has been on a steady increase all over the United States and even overseas.

"We can do business virtually anywhere in the world," said Ameche. "When we ship, most of our arrangements are boxed and fully-assembled. But we can also disassemble, re-assemble, install or even salvage arrangements."

Salvaging is exactly what happened in Deauville, France. Eighteen 20-foot custom ficus trees were shipped but left unattended and eventually damaged in the parking lot of Casino de Deauville. The Make Be-Leaves team worked non-stop for two days to recreate what was left of the trees, and succeeded.

There are glimpses of Make Be-Leaves's birch, beech and bonsai trees at The Grand Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne, Australia. Their lilies, orchids and magnolias can also be spotted in other hotels and casinos in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Locally, Make Be-Leaves has done business with hospitals, model homes, churches, government entities and other places where real greenery may not be an option due to environmental or health concerns.

In Thousand Oaks, Make Be-Leaves worked with a group of local interior designers to enhance the main lobby of University Village Retirement Community. Large silk fruit trees and small accent arrangements were added to create a park-like setting.

The Storm

But even in the forest, it is not green and sunny all the time. When the recession hit two years ago, Ameche started working with a business consultant on the best ways to weather the storm.

Focused on getting lean and mean. Ameche made some adjustments by reducing her manpower, modifying inventory levels and scrutinizing the financials of the company. "When sales dropped, I suddenly had the time to sit back, regroup and evaluate," she said.

Standing Out

In an industry where the terms "price quotes" and "urgent" are always used in the same sentence, Ameche is proud of her customer service-driven staff and their responsiveness. In fact, Make Be-Leaves  is one of the few businesses that does not utilize an answering service. There is always a live person to talk to.

Flexibility also sets them apart. "We can work with anybody, anywhere," explained Ameche. "Our customers are not limited by what's in the catalogue," she said. We can do anything for them. Sky's the limit really."