Keith Freudenberg wouldn’t be happy working in a cubicle. He’d much rather be outside. Sitting on 8 acres of land, Accent on Flowers has for nearly three decades, married Freudenberg’s love for the outdoors with his natural knack for floral arranging.
About 30 years ago, Freudenberg began managing a flower shop in downtown Newburgh, Indiana, named Serendipity. After three years, it was time to branch out and bring a more diverse selection to the store. A change in location from downtown Newburgh to W. State Road 662 meant changing the store’s name as well, turning Serendipity into Accent on Flowers. With more room, Accent on Flowers expanded its offerings to include fresh and silk flowers, antiques, concrete statuaries that Freudenberg hand-selects, and gifts including products from the J.R. Watkins line.
Moving the flower shop also brought Freudenberg closer to his family — literally. “Actually, a funny thing is my dad is Dr. Freudenberg, and we have Parkdale Animal Hospital next door. He built that clinic and that’s where I grew up,” says Freudenberg. “So now I’m living right next door to where I grew up, and I have my business here. My parents also had the Newburgh Family Restaurant right across the street.”
Freudenberg’s mother acquired the Homestead Restaurant — which was renamed to Newburgh Family Restaurant — and operated it for about three years before the 2005 tornado. “The ’05 tornado destroyed everything. It destroyed part of my shop and hit our house,” says Freudenberg. “To look at our restaurant, all the work, blood, sweat, and tears put in to it and then it’s gone.” The family’s restaurant did not reopen, but Freudenberg reopened Accent on Flowers after he repaired some damages.
With faith in the business and good time management, Freudenberg keeps the shop going and his customers happy. Besides the help from a delivery employee, his parents, an occasional office employee, and a seasonal holiday worker, Freudenberg does it all himself. Freudenberg says he sometimes does feel a little pushed for time — he gets up at 4 a.m. each day.
The small shop delivers flower arrangements and just about anything offered in the store to Newburgh, Evansville, Boonville, and Chandler, Indiana, and wires flowers anywhere in the world. Every other Wednesday, a delivery of 10 bundles of mixed color roses and 10 bundles of red roses come in for Freudenberg’s cash and carry every day special — a dozen roses for $10.
For more information about Accent on Flowers, call 812-858-1344 or visit accentonflowers.biz.
