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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m M a r c h 2 0 15 • I NSIGH T | 33 T he Greenville-based Honey Bee Ware started like many businesses — simply to solve a problem. Wayne Gerdts, a third-generation beekeeper, found he had to drive more than 100 miles to the nearest beekeeping supplier in southern Wisconsin. "Anytime I'd order something, the freight was typically more than what the product was," says Wayne, who owns the business with his wife, Joan. "It would take half to three-quarters of a day. I figured, I can't be the only one that's having that problem." So Wayne and Joan (pronounced Jo Ann) started Honey Bee Ware in a shed at their home in 2010, selling both online and in person. ey expanded their business to the garage before purchasing the building at their current location, N1829 Municipal Drive, in April. Honey Bee Ware offers more than 1,000 products in its online store, and aspiring beekeepers can find whatever equipment they need to get started. In the last two years, the company has grown about 200 percent, Wayne says. "We didn't expect to get this big," Joan says. Honey Bee Ware is expanding its offerings to include local vendors of soaps, lotions, canned goods and cra items. e store also offers classes Greenville's Honey Bee Ware fills niche for hobby apiarists Beekeeping Buzz in focus { s m a l l b u s i n e s s } B y N i k k i K a l l i o for people interested in beekeeping, including beginners. ree years ago, the first class had 20 people and took a long time to fill, Wayne says. "is year we're having two classes — the first one was in January and we had 51 people and turned people away." People from around the state as well as Michigan and Minnesota have attended the class, which is led by a Lawrence University senior Annica Mandeltort, head beekeeper for Sustainable Lawrence University Garden (SLUG), says it's great to be able to seek advice from local beekeeping experts Wayne and Joan Gerdts, who own and operate Honey Bee Ware in Greenville. [ c o n t i n u e d ] » P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y O F A N N I C A M A N D E LT O R T University of Minnesota bee expert. Wayne leads an in-field, hands-on class in the summer. e business has expanded as the number of commercial