This month’s business spotlight article features Palmer Florist, your neighborhood, family-owned business that is a one-stop shop for all of your floral arrangement needs.
Palmer Florist moved to Westchester in 2008 after establishing the business 35 years ago in the neighboring City of Berwyn. The original owner, John Kowalczyk, moved Palmer Florist to Westchester because he felt it was the perfect building and a centralized location to all of the neighboring communities that Palmer Florist serviced and continues to service. John was well known for great customer service and also for having a working model train that would ride around the store. Sadly, John Kowalczyk passed in 2023, leaving the business to his wife Tamera Church. Tamera, along with her son, Nick Skachkov, continue John’s legacy of care and customer service and they also continue to display the model train for customer viewing, but it is no longer operational.
Tamera Church left Russia in 1999 with her two sons and moved to the western suburbs of Chicago. Tamera became an interpreter for international language services. She then began working as a flight attendant for American Airlines. Tamera jumped at the chance to become a Russian interpreter on direct flights to Russia as it gave her the chance to go home and visit family in Russia. Tamera met her future husband John Kowalczyk in 2009 and the two immediately had a connection. Tamera’s son, Nick, says that Tamera and John complemented each other perfectly. Tamera and John worked side by side, day and night, practically never going anywhere without each other. Tamera and John both loved flowers and it was obvious they brought that shared loved to work every day. Their shared loved and enthusiasm for the work they did together was formally recognized in 2015 when Palmer Florist received the Westchester Chamber of Commerce Business Image of the Year award.
While it is always hard moving on after losing a loved one, Tamera knew she could continue to run the business after the death of her loving husband, especially with the help of her son, Nick. Tamera has loved being a business owner and everything that comes along with ownership and being the boss, such as balancing the business’ accounting and financials as well as adding creative flair to new floral creations. Nick gained valuable experience during the tough times when his mom was taking care of John before his passing. Tamera and Nick continue to give Palmer Florist a friendly, family touch to all of their interactions with customers.
When speaking of the customers, Tamera and Nick both agree that they would love to see more face-to-face interactions rather than all online orders. After being a part of the community as long as they have, customers feel more like friends and family! While they would certainly never turn down an online order and they put the same amount of care and attention into each order, there is a belief that the customer may have a better experience if they are able to talk with the team at Palmer Florist about their desired floral creation. Palmer Florist employs three floral designers, Iryana, Tatiana, and Tammy, who all love coming up with ideas for a customer and love a good challenge. Tamera, Nick, and the designer team all have the same goal of making every customer’s vision come to life in the form of a beautiful floral arrangement. The Palmer Florist team takes pride in being a part of the Westchester community and considers customers to be more of friends than clients and continues to strive for the type of customer satisfaction.
While the biggest seller for Palmer Florist is, of course, floral arrangements, they also offer delightful fruit bouquets, chocolate-covered strawberries, and specialty gifts that are handcrafted with pride. One of the unique things about Palmer Florist is that all of their fruit bouquets and chocolate strawberries are made fresh in-house in their very own kitchen, ensuring the highest quality and customization for every client. Everything they create is customizable—perfect for personalizing your holiday gatherings! For example, their talented designers can craft charming reindeer and snowmen out of pineapples, fruits, and chocolates, making their creations as festive as they are delicious.
Tamera and Nick share the same sentiment as many other Westchester business owners – please shop local! While Palmer Florist is a co-brand of 1-800 Flowers, it’s important to visit the Palmer Florist website (listed below) to support this local treasure directly.
The Westchester Economic Development team recommends everyone check out Palmer Florist for any holiday gift or decorations needs you may have. The friendly staff will make sure you do not regret your decision and you will be supporting a great local business!
Visit Palmer Florist for all your holiday and special occasions!
Palmer Florist
1926 S. Mannheim Rd
Westchester, IL 60154
Phone: (708)-531-9800
Fax: (708)-531-1336
Website: www.palmerflorist.com
Email: email@Palmerflorist.com
Instagram: @Palmerflorist_westchester