The Moses Miracle


David Hartstein is betting on an innovation he calls the Moses Miracle in an attempt to reinvent his privately held Brookline flower company.

The Boston Globe reports that the Moses Miracle doesn’t seem like much of a technology stretch. At first glance, it looks like a glorified water balloon that has been tightly cinched around a bouquet’s stems. And that’s pretty much what it is.

Hartstein believes that simplicity can help him sort out some complicated business problems. He sees it as a potential game changer in the flower industry – an inexpensive way to keep a perishable commodity hydrated and fresh, even when it’s shipped across the country. Many rival companies ship their flowers dry, he said, which can result in wilted roses and lilies.

Though the Moses Miracle seems basic, it took much trial and error over several years to perfect the product and win a patent for it.

The goal was a leak-proof balloon that could be quickly and cheaply slipped onto a bouquet’s stems. When Hartstein first brought his idea to a packaging specialist in his native Israel, the specialist doubted the idea’s logistical feasibility. Alluding to a biblical passage in which Moses miraculously drew water from a rock, he told Hartstein, “If you could do this, it would be a Moses miracle.’’

“I’ve shaken it,’’ he said. “I’ve held it upside down, and I’ve thrown it onto the floor of the car. It doesn’t leak – that’s the amazing thing.’’

Hartstein said the Moses Miracle has other benefits besides keeping flowers fresh during long distance deliveries. By sealing bunches of fresh-cut flowers, KaBloom can sell flowers in low overhead kiosks that don’t need extensive plumbing or multiple buckets of water.

Photo by The Boston Globe.

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