Kountze grows a new business

Dylan Busby dylan@silsbee-bee.com The Silsbee Bee KOUNTZE — A love of flowers and a little encouragement from family have blossomed into a new business for Kountze resident Anna Gonzalez, owner of Rooted and Redeemed Flower Shop. The new business, located at 940 Redwood Street in Kountze, recently celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, welcoming customers and community members to the floral shop. For Gonzalez, becoming a flower shop owner was not necessarily part of her retirement plans. In fact, the idea originally came from her daughters, who encouraged her to turn her longtime passion for flowers into a business. “My girls told me that they thought I should open it because I love flowers,” Gonzalez recalled. “And so I was like, no, don’t think so, I’m retired.” However, after discussing the idea with her husband and receiving his support, Gonzalez decided to give entrepreneurship another opportunity. “My husband said yes, and I was like, OK, then we’ll open a flower shop,” she said. Although operating a flower shop is a new adventure, Gonzalez is no stranger to working with plants or running a business. Before opening Rooted and Redeemed, Gonzalez and her husband operated JT’s Lawn Service for more than 20 years, building their experience in landscaping and outdoor maintenance. Now, she is taking that experience in a different direction, trading lawn equipment for floral arrangements and bringing her passion for flowers directly to customers. The business embraces the themes of faith, family and fresh flowers, reflected in its name and its welcoming approach to serving the community. With the ribbon officially cut, Gonzalez is looking forward to sharing her love of flowers with Kountze residents and providing a new local option for floral needs. Rooted and Redeemed Flower Shop is located at 940 Redwood Street in Kountze. For more information, call 409-246-2400.