Stats Floral Supply in Pasadena, California has provided the southern California with holiday decorations for more than half a century. Inside, you’ll find an explosion of of Christmas stuff: snow globes, robot Santas, ornaments and more lights than you could ever need.

For our latest installment of our series “Brought to You By,” owner Damon Stathatos gave the story behind his family’s business, what his challenges are today and why many locals were recently worried the store would be closing (it’s not):

Snowman display at Stats Floral Supply in Pasadena. 

Robert Garrova/Marketplace

My father started Stats in 1962. At the time they were painting the sign, it was probably more economical to paint Stats rather than Stathatos, something like that. My first memories were during our Christmas vacation when I was in second grade testing light sets at the light counter and seeing some of my classmates on the other side as customers. 

For a long time it was easier for us to be very different than everybody else in the market. As time has gone on, big box stores have necessarily included this segment of the business in their business.

We were forced to sell our warehouse. We advertised a complete inventory liquidation,  which everybody, naturally, read as we were going out of business. But sometimes people just have a knack of reading the headline and skipping the rest… Our challenge this season was to get the word out that ‘No, we’re not closed.’

Like I say, my father started in 1962, unfortunately he passed away in the middle of last year. My father was the greatest guy that, certainly, I ever have known. He was very tough in business but he had a heart of gold. I realize now, that all those years of exposure — even when I was young — really set the whole foundation, you know, going further into my adult life.