Every week, thousands of stems begin an incredible journey from flower farms around the world before arriving at Green Mountain Floral Supply-and ultimately into the hands of florists across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and New York. One of the people who helps make that journey possible is William “Blue” French.
This September, Blue celebrates ten years with Green Mountain Floral Supply. Based primarily out of our Middlesex location, he’s known as one of our most dependable delivery drivers-but there’s much more to his story than what happens behind the wheel.
A Decade on the Road
Blue joined Green Mountain Floral Supply in 2016 while reestablishing himself in Vermont. After working in the U-32 school district and holding delivery jobs ranging from vintage bathtubs to furniture, he found a role here that simply fit.
“It just worked well for me and my lifestyle,” he says.
Punctual by nature, Blue is the kind of person who’s always early. He’s also a proud father and grandfather-or “Opah” to his three grandchildren-and someone whose musical talents often surprise coworkers who only know him from his delivery routes.
Why Everyone Calls Him Blue
The nickname predates Green Mountain Floral Supply by decades.
More than 40 years ago, while hanging out with two other friends named Bill, a stranger suggested he needed a nickname. Between his blue eyes, his love of blues music, and the matching initials of Bill French, “Blue” (or “Blue Fox”) was born-and it’s stuck ever since.
The Sunday Flower Run
One of Blue’s most important responsibilities happens every Sunday.
He travels from Middlesex to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he picks up Green Mountain Floral Supply’s weekly Dutch flower shipment after its international journey to New York’s JFK Airport. He carefully transfers hundreds of flower boxes into our truck, loading them in a precise order so they can be efficiently unloaded in Middlesex and South Burlington. During July and August, he occasionally adds another stop to pick up fresh dahlias from farms in Massachusetts for our customers.
“The flowers have already traveled a long way. I want to make sure they arrive in the best possible condition for our customers,” he shared.
Finding Joy on the Road
Blue genuinely enjoys life behind the wheel. He appreciates Vermont’s scenery, values the independence of the job, and has accumulated an impressive wildlife checklist over the years: moose, bears, foxes, fisher cats, bald eagles, turkey vultures, rabbits, and one memorable sight-a passerby helping a mother mink carry her babies safely across the road.
A Musician at Heart
Away from work, Blue has been performing blues music for more than 30 years.
A self-taught guitarist, harmonica player, and vocalist, he got his musical start a full decade before arriving to Vermont by performing throughout the region with several bands and then regularly on Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace. Today, he performs as Blue Fox, both as a solo acoustic artist and with the Blue Fox Duo and Trio.
His performances have earned praise from the Times Argus, which called him “one of the few authentic blues musicians in Vermont.”
He never performs from a set list, preferring to read the room and shape each performance to the audience. Sometimes his delivery routes even double as rehearsal time, giving him the chance to learn new songs and memorize lyrics between stops.
A Valued Member of the Team
This year marks the longest Blue has worked for any employer outside of his music career.
He credits that longevity to the people at Green Mountain Floral Supply and the flexibility and kindness they’ve shown him over the years-qualities he strives to return every day.
Whether he’s unloading Dutch flowers before sunrise, making deliveries across Northern New England, or performing at a farmers market or weekend gig, Blue brings the same qualities to everything he does: reliability, care, and authenticity.
Congratulations, Blue, on ten years of helping keep our customers-and their flowers-moving.
