The year was 1982, and Maxine was working at Flowers, Inc. Wholesale, a floral distributor co-owned by her husband, Bob. Maxine soon realized that the balloon imprinting process could be used to print a message or design on a balloon, creating a floating greeting card–a concept that would soon transform the floral industry and lead her to found Flowers, Inc. Balloons. Her ingenuity has taken the company from a backroom start-up to The World's Largest Balloon and Coordinating Gift Supplier. In 2006, Flowers, Inc. Balloons changed its name to burton + BURTON to represent the extensive inventory of balloons, floral supplies, coordinating gifts, and home décor the company offers.