Sam Johnson, owner of Bear Hug Honey Company, said he is happy to have a new warehouse location in Lexington, which serves the company’s retail store, shown here, on Clayton Street in Athens. (Lily Aldrich/The Oglethorpe Echo)
Sam Johnson, owner of Bear Hug Honey Company, recently opened a warehouse in Oglethorpe County.
He said the new Lexington location helps his commercial store in Athens, but he’s also hoping it will spur growth for the downtown.
“We're excited to be out in Lexington,” he said. “Everybody's been super nice and welcoming.”
The storefront at 106 W. Main St. was remodeled, with a new roof and new fixtures. Once it received a license to operate as a commercial kitchen, the company then began bottling and infusing honey.
Johnson said there is potential to turn the Oglethorpe County location into a retail store, depending on the development downtown.
“We're hoping that if there's other buildings flipped and something else needs to go in there, that it could be a fun little shopping center, and then we would turn ours into a little retail spot, too,” Johnson said.
The Bear Hug Honey Company team consists of four associates, including one who is from Oglethorpe County. They manage the store, set up at farmers markets and make products, including beeswax candles.
Johnson said he hopes the new warehouse will mean more collaboration with local businesses, but in the meantime, he’s enjoying the atmosphere of Oglethorpe County.
“I like getting out of the city and kind of being out in the country, away from everything where I can concentrate on production,” Johnson said, “as well as have some creative space out there to think on other things, too.”