In 2018, Dillon, inspired by his natural eye for floral design and experience in the catering industry, launched Designs by Dillon from a 500-square-foot apartment in Wilmington, North Carolina. With a passion for creating unique wedding and event designs, Dillon turned the apartment into a makeshift floral studio.
In order to keep the flowers cool and fresh, we would “… turn (the) air conditioner unit down to 65 – as low as it could go! And then we would also put in a window unit to get it even colder in there.”
The need for better refrigeration quickly became apparent.
Upon moving to a house, Dillon discovered CoolBot through Sweet Root Village on social media. The solution was perfect for their growing business, and a fortunate trade deal with a bride whose groom owned a restaurant equipment business landed them a 12×10 walk-in cooler. He installed it in his backyard and equipped it with CoolBot and an AC unit, creating a reliable, efficient and spacious refrigeration system.
“… even in the heat of the summer, (the CoolBot) remained cold. I knew that was a big advantage that we had over some other florists in town. There’s a lot of florists in Wilmington that operate out of their house, and they don’t have refrigeration at all. They just leave (their flowers) in a normal air conditioned room and that wasn’t gonna fly for Dillon,” says Co-Founder and Director of Operations, Kyle Drake. “Dillon needed his fresh flowers and he needed them to look pristine.”
The new CoolBot setup proved invaluable, maintaining the cooler at 38°F even in the heat of summer. This gave Designs by Dillon a competitive edge over other florists who lacked proper refrigeration. The ability to keep flowers fresh and pristine was crucial – especially since many florists in Wilmington operated without such systems.
“It worked like a charm! CoolBot did exactly what we needed it to do.”
The initial AC unit worked tirelessly for six and a half years before needing replacement. Recognizing the need for a quicker recovery time due to frequent door usage, Dillon upgraded to a larger AC unit and decided to invest in CoolBot Pro for added peace of mind. The CoolBot Pro’s alert system ensures they can address any issues promptly, maintaining the high standards necessary for their wedding and event flowers.
Designs by Dillon sources flowers from both local farms and wholesalers like Mayesh and Flowerbuyer.com, ensuring a diverse and high-quality selection. Despite the challenges of North Carolina’s climate, which limits year-round local growing, they manage to keep flowers fresh and vibrant, thanks to their reliable cooling system.
“ (Our flowers) are coming in from all over the world, so by the time they get to us they’re already a couple weeks old. Having refrigeration helps to keep them fresh even after being cut weeks ago from a field in Honduras or Ecuador or wherever they’re coming from,” explains Dillon.
Dillon’s journey into the floral industry was a natural progression from a part-time job delivering flowers and assisting a family friend with a wedding. His innate talent and eye for design led him to create an Instagram account and file for an LLC, officially launching Designs by Dillon. Today, the business thrives, with Dillon handling the creative aspects and his partner managing logistics and installations, such as the CoolBot system.
As the business continues to grow, Designs by Dillon contemplates expanding their cooler space. Options include outfitting a room in their studio with spray foam insulation or finding a second cooler to accommodate their increasing floral inventory. The support and resources available through CoolBot have been instrumental in their success, providing reliable refrigeration solutions that help them deliver stunning floral designs for every event.