“It’s the people that keep us coming back to the city,” said Mirage Floral Coordinator Tru Troung. “New Orleans and Memphis are beautiful cities with beautiful people. Our customers are more like friends. It’s hard to explain the wonderful relationship we have with these wonderful cities.” Tru goes on to explain that some customers are so friendly and loyal that they actually bring cakes, pies and homemade fudge to the shows to share with their floral design team.

Owner Ping Tang and his wife Quan have more than 20 years of experience in the floral industry. They’ve been exhibitors in Helen Brett gift and jewelry shows since 1988. Their company is an importer, manufacturer and wholesaler of various lines of permanent botanical, architectural décor and decorative accessories for commercial and residential buyers.

Floral designers Quan and Kitty Wong attend every show and manage the on-site design team. Quan enjoys working with interior designers and homebuilders in creating custom arrangements unique for their design needs.

“We treat all of our customers like interior decorators.” said Quan, “When you visit our booth, bring your color swatches and pictures so we can match your style. We’ll listen to what you want, identify your look and incorporate your color palette to match.” It doesn’t matter if you require Tuscany accents, Mediterranean style or French country botanicals, Mirage will help you achieve your vision.

Mirage Floral Wholesale locates the best possible products and imports them from exotic locales, including China (for floral), India (for metal containers) and Vietnam (for pottery). They’re also affiliated with a number of national organizations that promote the floral industry, such as the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the Texas Association of Builders, and the Greater Houston Builder’s Association.

Even though their 20,000 square foot showroom and warehouse in Houston, Texas is full of creative activity, Mirage makes time to attend at least eight Helen Brett shows a year. “We’ve been pretty loyal to Helen Brett,” said Tru. “We started exhibiting when Renee (Kolinek) was managing the company and have stayed ever since. Other exhibitors and buyers have become our friends and family over the years.”

“Whether your design needs are big or small,” said Tru. “We are the people you should visit when choosing permanent botanicals for your living spaces. After all, it’s the people that make a difference!”

For more information, visit booths 1172-1173, 1221-1222 in New Orleans, booths 572-573, 622-623 in Memphis or their Web site at www.miragesilks.com.