CalFlowers Honors Floral Industry Legend Red Kennicott with 2026 Distinguished Service Award
Award Returns After More Than a Decade as CalFlowers Celebrates 85 Years of Floral Excellence
San Marcos, Calif. — July 8, 2026 — As CalFlowers celebrates 85 years of floral excellence, the association is proud to announce that Harrison "Red" Kennicott III, Chairman of Kennicott Brothers Company, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 CalFlowers Distinguished Service Award, recognizing a lifetime of extraordinary leadership, innovation, and service to the floral industry.
The award will be presented during the Fun 'N Sun 2026 Floral Convention in Pasadena, California, marking the return of CalFlowers' Distinguished Service Award after more than a decade. The award honors individuals whose dedication, integrity, and lasting contributions have strengthened both CalFlowers and the floral industry as a whole.
For Red Kennicott, flowers have never simply been a business. They are a family legacy spanning nearly two centuries.
From his ancestors who helped establish American horticulture, to the founding of Kennicott Brothers in 1881, to Red's own decades of leadership that helped transform Kennicott Brothers into one of the nation’s most respected wholesale floral companies, now spanning 14 locations across the Midwest and Southeast, the Kennicott name has become synonymous with excellence in floriculture.
Red began working in the family business at just 12 years old, weeding peonies at The Grove and spending Saturdays at Kennicott Brothers. Red graduated from Michigan State University in 1959 with honors and dual degrees in Business and Floriculture. After briefly attending law school and serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to Kennicott Brothers full-time in the early 1960s. When his father partially retired in the 1970s, Red assumed leadership of Kennicott Brothers, guiding the company through decades of growth, innovation, expansion, and technological advancement while never losing sight of the relationships that define the floral business. (Pictured above: Red and Katie Kennicott in Costa Rica in 1996)
Under Red's leadership, Kennicott Brothers expanded into one of the country's premier wholesale floral distributors, pioneering supermarket floral programs, embracing emerging technologies, broadening product offerings, and building a company culture centered on customer relationships and employee ownership. His philosophy has always remained remarkably simple:
"People and personal relationships are what the flower business is all about."
Beyond his accomplishments in business, Red has dedicated countless hours to advancing the entire floral industry.
His service includes leadership roles as President of the Society of American Florists, President of the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association, President of Allied Florists of Illinois, Chairman of the American Floral Endowment Board, and numerous other organizations devoted to strengthening floriculture nationwide. His peers recognized those contributions by inducting him into the Society of American Florists Floriculture Hall of Fame and honoring him with many of the industry's highest awards.
Today, Red's influence continues through the countless professionals he has mentored, the businesses he has helped grow, and the generations of his own family who continue the Kennicott tradition.
"As we celebrate CalFlowers' 85th Anniversary and bring back the Distinguished Service Award after more than a decade, there could not be a more deserving recipient than Red Kennicott," said Lane DeVries, President of CalFlowers. "Red has devoted his life not only to building an exceptional company but to strengthening the entire floral industry. His leadership has always been guided by integrity, innovation, generosity, and an unwavering belief in people. Few individuals have left a broader or more lasting impact on our industry, and it is our privilege to recognize him with this honor."
Upon learning of the award, Red reflected not on personal accomplishments, but on the people who made them possible.
"I've been incredibly fortunate to spend my life in an industry built around beautiful floral products and personal relationships," said Red Kennicott. "This recognition really belongs to the many fellow employee owners, growers, customers, and family members who have shared this journey with me over the years. The floral industry has given me far more than I could ever give back, and I remain optimistic about its future and the next generation that will continue to move it forward."
The presentation will take place on Friday, August 7, 2026 during the General Session at Fun 'N Sun 2026, at The Langham Huntington in Pasadena. This award honors a recipient whose decades of leadership have helped shape the floral industry alongside CalFlowers’ own 85-year history, a full circle moment for an industry built on relationships and legacy.