- April 26, 2024
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In a community where shopping local is encouraged, a few Ormond Beach businesses have both embraced that concept and seen growth. Here are two local businesses whose products have accomplished that.
Greg Jensen started helping the Ormond Beach community with its olive oil needs since October, 2015, and every year since, his business has progressed.
Jensen said the idea to open an olive oil company came to him during the summer of 2015 while he and his wife were living in Georgia. There was a similar olive oil store near them, and the owner inspired them to follow in his footsteps. Since Jensen and his family grew up in Ormond Beach, he wanted to open up a store in his hometown.
After visiting the olive oil supplier, Veronica Foods Inc., in California, the Ormond Beach Olive Oil Company soon found a home in Granada Plaza, located at 203 E. Granada Blvd. Jensen said their company's shipping has taken off, measuring about 25% of their overall business — a testament to their product and service, Jensen said.
“We’re blessed every day to be able to do it," Jensen said. "We get phone calls every single day saying, 'thank you, can you please ship us some more?'”
The Ormond Beach Olive Oil Company bottles mainly are shipped to the northeast U.S., but Jensen said they also ship to Texas frequently. On a grander scale, Jensen said they've also shipped to Hawaii, Canada and even Okinawa, Japan.
“To know that there’s someone in Washington state picking up my bottle now, trying to use it for something, is just amazing," Jensen said.
He said over 600 stores nationwide use their product. Their bottles, with permission from the Ormond Beach Historical Society, have the Birthplace of Speed logo on them. It was important to Jensen that they portray Ormond history.
This holiday season, the Ormond Beach Olive Oil Company is supporting the Janet Hale foundation, a Port-Orange nonprofit that helps provide toys to underprivileged children in Volusia County. They will be donating the oil, vinegar and food for the foundation's Christmas Eve event, as well as collecting toys in their store.
“Being in the community is the biggest thing for us." Jensen said.
Visit ormondbeacholiveoil.com for more information.
For Ormond Beach residents Will and Erika Jones, yoga has always been the core everything they've done since they first met 10 years ago, and that has naturally translated to their business.
About five years ago, they were trying to come up with a non-slip yoga mat for their studio, located at 138 W. Granada Blvd., that would absorb sweat, and after a few experiments, they came up with what is now the WAYmat.
Now, these colorful micro-fiber or cotton yoga mats are shipped all over the U.S., Erika Jones said. Over 300 yoga studios buy them wholesale, and the mats are available for purchase on Amazon and We Are Yoga's online store.
“They’re out there," Jones said. "You can go to almost any hot yoga or Bikram-based studio in most major cities and probably come across a WAYmat, or a room full of WAYmats.”
Jade Al-Khateeb, a yoga instructor at the We Are Yoga studio since 2012, owns three of the mats herself. She said she prefers them to a traditional rubber mat because of how easy they are to wash, as well as their versatility.
“It’s not just a yoga mat," Al-Khateeb said.
She said she takes to the beach, pool and has seen others take them to festivals and outdoor events. Most of the studio's regular students own one, she said.
Jones said the nationwide distribution of the WAYmay is amazing, but that since they're always creating and brainstorming ways to improve their product, she doesn't always think about their success.
“It takes a minute like this to sort of realize how far you’ve come and put it in perspective," Jones said.
Visit weareyoga.com for more information.
