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Tim and Nancy Galea: A Series of Transitions Builds Success in Floral Industry
February 19, 2025
From an eager delivery boy to the retired owner of one of the most notable flower shop companies in Michigan, Tim Galea has built a flourishing career in the floriculture industry navigating transitions.
He was just 14 years old when he would hop in the car with his father who would deliver flowers on holidays for some extra money. His father would drive, and Tim would head for the door, greeting the recipient and getting his first lessons in customer service.
By the time Tim could drive at age 16, he got himself a job at the same florist and set out on his own, earning money and learning more about the industry. He spent the next 15 years at that same shop, moving into adulthood. He tried college – maybe he would be a pilot or a lawyer. But he realized early on it wasn’t the path meant for him. Instead, he was evolving in the industry he had known for years and went from someone who would take a finished product to a customer to someone who would envision and create the design himself.
“It was a great team job. It was something I fell into, and it just grew from there and became better than the alternatives,” he said. “Sometimes you just fall into a career, and you didn’t even mean to. But then you develop an appreciation for it, and that is what happened for me.”
Building a Career
With customer service skills and design experience under his belt, Tim moved into management at the shop, soaking up what lessons he could and becoming more immersed in the industry. And then, it was time for his next transition.
“I left and I bought my own shop. It was an existing shop, and I ran it for eight years,” he said. It was during this time that Tim knew the industry wasn’t a waning interest. Floriculture is where he belonged and where he planned to stay. He learned a lot as a business owner, but life would take him through yet another change – a move to Ann Arbor, Michigan where Nancy was working in her chosen industry, banking technology and then cybersecurity.
He sold his shop in 1993 and went to work for Norton’s Flowers and Gifts. The company, which was headquartered in Ypsilanti, Michigan, had been around since 1892 and had already developed a deeply-rooted reputation in the area for great service. He began his career with the shop as a design manager. Six months later, he was promoted to general manager of the company. About eight years after he joined Norton’s staff, Tim found himself looking ahead at another transition that would elevate his career once again. But this time, he wasn’t going anywhere.
“In 2001, I had an opportunity to buy the company with some partners who also worked at the store,” he said. Eventually, he bought out all of those partners and by 2017, became the sole owner of the business.
Building a Legacy
In the years that followed, Tim operated anywhere from two to five locations for Norton’s. His team would run locations until they were no longer necessary or profitable. He navigated the industry to ebb and flow with the economy to ensure its success. Successful it was, becoming one of the top 100 flower shops in the country. Tim viewed those years as the ultimate leadership experience in an industry that he loved. In 2023, Tim and Nancy decided a new transition was in order for the family. So, after 22 years as the owner of Norton’s Flowers and Gifts, which by that time was operating its headquarters store in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and a branch store in Ann Arbor, Tim settled into retirement.
“After such a long time working in the industry, the transition to retirement obviously required some adjustments” he said. “But, when you are in the flower business, it’s just who you are, and you adapt to those changes along the way.”
Tim and Nancy credit their longstanding involvements with floriculture organizations as ways to not only grow in the industry, but also to stay connected after retirement. Tim was an active board member of the Society of American Florists and is still treasurer of the Great Lakes Floral Association.
He said the opportunity to get to know business leaders who were friendly and generously shared their knowledge and experience was crucial in his career.
One of the most influential was Tom Butler, one of the American Floral Endowment’s (AFE) most vocal advocates. Butler became a friend and mentor to Tim and Nancy and his guidance was monumental to their success. After Butler passed away, Tim and Nancy hosted fundraising dinners for AFE in his honor until the pandemic made it too difficult to continue.
The couple also turned to AFE’s Legacy Circle where they could not only honor their friend but contribute to the floral industry for generations to come.
“AFE came to us through Tom. It meant the world to him, and he meant the world to us. So, it was just natural that we wanted to support the organization that he loved,” said Tim. “That’s why we decided to leave a portion of our estate that will go through the Tom Butler Family Fund that is already established with AFE.”
According to Tim, there may be misperceptions about AFE’s Legacy Circle. “I think many people probably assume you have to be wealthy or that AFE will want information about your personal finances, but that’s just not true. The strength and continuity of the Endowment is sustained through donations from average business people like us.” As Tim and Nancy explained, “We’re not wealthy nor did we have to give AFE any information about our financial status. We simply committed to the Endowment that AFE is included in our will or trust.”
In addition to committing to AFE’s Legacy Circle, Tim has become more involved with the organization, serving on the board of directors for three years. He said he is grateful for the chance to serve on the board where he was able to learn more about the endowment and how important it is to the industry. Although her career in the security tech industry was a different path from floriculture, Nancy said her involvement has been meaningful in her life.
“The industry and the people are such an inspiration to me,” said Nancy. “And then to know that there’s an organization like AFE that supports them as they are out there every day growing their family business, starting up a new business, and securing those businesses for generations to come, it is just a terrific resource that is so highly valuable.”
Tim said he has been extremely impressed with AFE’s history of efforts in research and education, which most recently includes educating industry members about sustainable practices through the organization’s Sustainabloom program. These are the ways, he said, that the floriculture industry selflessly and generously shares knowledge and experience to ensure the industry thrives for years to come.
“AFE reaffirms that we are all in this together,” said Tim. “Many people don’t even think about what’s going to happen to their estate when they die. For Nancy and me, it’s about how we can honor and recognize someone even after we are gone. Because AFE invests so wisely and spends only a percentage of the investment earnings each year, the money you donate lives indefinitely. That means your success, your legacy, can live on indefinitely through the endowment.”
By Carla Dempsey
