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Flowers and chocolate, the perfect pair: Get to know two of the oldest businesses in Jackson

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  • Video shows Gilbert Chocolates and Brown Floral Co. Each business has been operating for over 100 years.
  • Brown Floral Co. opened in 1865. Gilbert Chocolates opened in 1893, and came to downtown Jackson in 1900.
  • WATCH to see how these two businesses have stayed alive for over a century.

In a world that changes fast...
"They used to deliver with horse and buggy," says Chris Grostefon, Owner of Brown Floral Co.

...It's probably best that some things stay the same.

"We use the same recipes from 100 years ago," says Sally Krichbaum, Co-owner of Gilbert Chocolates.

Like the time honored tradition of flowers and chocolate that go hand in business, two Jackson businesses have specialized in those for over a century.

"There's no better job than working at a flower shop," says Grostefon. Brown Floral Co. has been making arrangements for 159 years, while less than a mile away, Gilbert Chocolates has been making candy a couple hundred yards of where they are today, for over 100 years.

See what else has changed downtown:

What went into the transformation of downtown Jackson

Other than their perfect pairing, the thing these two classic Jackson businesses have in common is that they're some of the oldest in town. Offering neighbors a trip back in time with each visit, and these two cornerstones have been working together for decades.

Brian Krichbaum, Co-owner of Gilbert Chocolates shares, "We would do anything we could to help make it work better for them." His wife adds, "That's right, when we need flowers, we call Brown's."

Grostefon says, "We like to support each other. That's what keeps us growing, too, is the support from the other people and other shops in Jackson." A relationship that stays the same, even when everything else seems to change.

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