ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (Jan. 25, 2016) — St. Joseph Hy-Vee customers now have a second location where they can purchase flowers and other gifts for special occasions.

Last month, Village Flowers by Rob, located inside the Meierhoffer Building at 5005 Frederick Ave., was sold to Hy-Vee and renamed Hy-Vee Flowers by Rob.

The flower shop, which was founded in 1873 by the Stuppy Floral Company, was purchased by St. Joseph native Rob Houp in 1983. On Dec. 21, Hy-Vee officially acquired the flower shop. Despite the change in ownership, Houp remains the main full-time floral designer. And all of the employees who wanted to continue working at the location were retained by Hy-Vee.

“Hy-Vee will run the business with the same commitment and values its original owners established more than 140 years ago,” said Mike Basch, St. Joseph Hy-Vee store director. “This new location will allow our customers to have the choice and convenience of purchasing their favorite floral arrangements at two stores versus one, building on our promise to deliver excellent customer service.”

“We are excited to make this transition and be a part of the Hy-Vee team in St. Joseph,” Houp said. “The floral services we have been privileged to provide our community will continue and our product selection will be enhanced. I look forward to continuing my passion for floral design and working with our new and current customers during this positive move for the business.”