![A sign on the door of the Albury Florist Centre spoke of the closure. Picture by James Wiltshire. A sign on the door of the Albury Florist Centre spoke of the closure. Picture by James Wiltshire.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168477368/58741c5e-cb2c-4ed4-9a8e-b3ebf4b749f4.jpg/r0_0_2400_1349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A popular North Albury florist has shut its doors following the store's inability to secure qualified staff.
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After taking over the store in 2022, Albury Florist Centre's co-owner Nathan Sigmund said it was a hard decision to close.
"Unfortunately, it was not one that we had a lot of time to reflect on and ultimately execute on," he said.
"We weren't able to sit on our hands for weeks or months.
"It just happened by circumstances."
Mr Sigmund hoped the brand could continue despite the closure of the Mate Street store.
"Our key focus is just that," he said.
"We'd love to see the brand continue under someone else."
Mr Sigmund who is an accountant by trade, saw the florist as an opportunity to support the small business.
Along with his silent business partner, the pair had a hopeful vision for many years to come.
"We just had a big issue with staff," he said.
"But we've always had good business.
"It was going really well but a couple of things unfolded and put us in a position that we didn't have the qualified florists to fulfil the work."
He said just as it had been difficult to find qualified staff, it wasn't a simple process to put the business up for sale quickly.
"The store has had an impact on us for the past two years," he said.
"We've met people of all walks of life from all around the world, and we've had long-standing customers.
"There's always a reason to give flowers, and that's something that we've really seen.
"It's quite heartwarming to have those experiences and those conversations."
Mr Sigmund said they were open-minded to what the future held and said if anyone was interested in taking over the brand to get in touch with the team at info@alburyflorist.com.au.