About Us

Remarkable Rose Floral & Gifts opened in the autumn of 2005 in the old Brimhall Brothers Drug Store Building, 122 West Main Street, in the middle of State Center’s “Remarkable Row” of Historic Buildings. It’s the perfect spot from which to service the entire State Center,  West Marshall and Central Iowa areas, and beyond.

Remarkable Rose has become a destination spot for residents and visitors alike.  We offer a wide variety of gifts and services.  Gift lines include Wood Wick and Root Candles, a selection of Iowa Wines, chocolates, paper products and cards, jewelry, decorative home accessories and much more. We provide a

comfortable setting for wedding and funeral consultations.  Tuxedo rental and sales are available for weddings, quinceaneras and proms.  We offer quality dry cleaning drop off and pick up service through Mayfair Cleaners of Ames.  And we’re the only source of West Marshall School Clothing Products outside of the school.

Hot gourmet coffee and homemade rolls and muffins are available Monday through Friday beginning at 7 a.m.  and Saturday at 9 a.m. in our coffee shop area.  Stop in and read the paper over a piping hot cup of coffee or an Italian Soda, or iced tea or lemonade during the summer months.  Bring in your laptop and answer your e-mails or work on that school project, our coffee shop offers high speed Wi-Fi internet service, free of charge.

Of course with a name like Remarkable Rose Floral & Gifts, fresh flowers and green and blooming plants are our main business.  We receive fresh cut flowers daily from our suppliers and green plants weekly.  Our Floral Designer Chelly can create any type of arrangement that you may need, from table top to funeral pieces.  We specialize in wedding work and we can make up corsages or boutonnières while you wait.   We’re available to wire out flowers, or to receive orders, from anywhere in the  world  through our wire service.  We personally deliver flowers to the entire State Center/West Marshall area and to Ames/Nevada and Marshalltown.

Owner Jeff Merrill was born in the area and grew up in State Center, attending West Marshall Public Schools from K- 12.  Jeff brings over 25 years of high end retail experience and customer service back to State Center from his many years at Blackstone's of Beacon Hill, in the historic Beacon Hill section of  Boston.  Jeff also spent many years at two Boston Architectural firms where he worked designing residential units and producing color renderings of projects.
 
Jeff  believes in taking an active roll as a community volunteer.  He currently serves on the board of the State Center Development Association (SCDA), the group that manages the Main Street Program in State Center, where he serves on the Promotions Committee.  He is currently the secretary of the State Center Historical Society, the society is responsible for Watson's Grocery Store Museum, Sheppler Barber Shop, and the Washington Township School House Museum.  Jeff also volunteers for the State Center Rose Festival Committee, working on the selection and location of food vendors for the event.  Jeff was on the RAGBRAI team in 2008, again woking on the selection and location of vendors.  At the start of 2009, Jeff will be a part of the Selection Committee of the Kauffman Trust, a trust which distributes funds for the betterment of State Center. 
 

In addition, Jeff is in the process of developing the Bishop Terrace Building at 132 West Main Street in State Center.  When finished early in 2009, this wooden false-front building, built in 1885, will house a small retail space and two 1500 sq. ft., two level townhouse units.

See more interior pictures of our store