By Geena Martinez
NewsWest 9
ODESSA - Valentines day is almost here, but getting those bouquets to your sweetheart is proving to be not-so-sweet for local florists.
They're having trouble finding delivery drivers and it's all because of the booming oil industry.
With just a few days to go, Cupid's workshop is in full swing.
But at Mark Knox Flowers in Odessa, Cupid's helpers need some help themselves.
"I've worked here for almost 29 years and this is the first year I can remember we didn't have anybody answer our ad," office manager, Rhonda Thornton, said.
The flower shop is in need of delivery drivers, and with the booming oil industry in the Basin, it's hard to even get people interested.
"We ran an ad for a week and we didn't have any responses to it," Thornton said. "They're now offering $6.50 per completed flower delivery.
That's up from previous holidays but the hard hat competition is tough.
"You've gotta make it worth their while," Thornton said. "If they know the area pretty well, they can make $300-$400 in a day."
In the past, they've also had to go up in delivery price for customers because they just can't get enough drivers.
"Not knowing how the weather's gonna turn out, if it happens to snow or rain, a lot of them wont show up," Thornton said.
The shop already has hundreds of orders, and with only about 15 drivers, they're taking all the help they can get.
"Last year we had over 500 deliveries so I expect that to be more this year," Thornton said. "Probably when they first step back there in the delivery area on Tuesday it's gonna be kinda overwhelming. It always is but it's doable."
If you have a valid license and insurance, you can apply in person at Mark Knox Flowers.
