Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Hughes.
Hi Robert, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Robert Hughes, the owner, started beekeeping on his family farm in Soldier Ks over 60 years ago. After moving to Kansas City he started selling honey at the Overland Park Farmers Market, where his wife’s family had a produce business. This eventually grew and he got his own booth over 20 years ago. Robert began teaching beekeeping at Johnson County Community College and started selling bee supplies out of his garage, this was the start of what would grow to become the nation wide retailer – Beekeepers.com.
In 2019 Robert moved his business out of his garage and into it’s current location. 14054 W. 107th st Lenexa KS. He hired his first employee in December of that year. It has now grown to 7 employees! We hope to add more next year,
After the move beekeepers.com was able to grow into a successful local business, we began creating our own line of bee suits, jackets and gloves. Hosting classes and local events. We were able to expand our honey offerings and now have a extraction room rental where local beekeepers can spin out their own honey!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Beekeeping is a great hobby and it is so satisfying to harvest your honey and share it with friends. Bees are very fragile and we have many challenges to keep the hive healthy. Today, there are more challenges than ever before. This is why it is important to start beekeeping with a mentor that has many years of experience and join a bee club. The bee clubs are very supportive and helpful, especially when you are a new beekeeper. It takes a few years to learn beekeeping.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Beekeepers.com is Kansas City’s only full service bee store. We offer the classes to get you started, partnering with Johnson County Community College. We build and sell the equipment that is needed to successfully raise bees, and we also partner with local commercial beekeepers to offer premium bees for our customers to begin their beekeeping journey with.
Our vice-president Jessica Popp serves on the board of both the Missouri and Kansas bee clubs. We are big believers in the local bee club, they are truly the best first step in your beekeeping Journey.
You can also find us selling our local honey at the Overland Park Farmers Market. We are so proud to have so many roots in Kansas City. We truly believe we have “Kansas City’s Favorite Bees!”
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We are so proud of all the things we have been able to accomplish in the last 5 years. We are looking to continue to grow and hope to find more retail outlets for our honey! We couldn’t do it without our local beekeeping community. If you are looking for a meaningful hobby, I would suggest you give beekeeping a try. Nothing is sweeter than your own honey,
Don’t want to keep bees? Support your local beekeeper and buy local honey! Come visit our family friendly shop in lenexa!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beekeepers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beekeepersdotcom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beekeepersdotcom
