GROWing a Market
From candles to mustard, GROW Nebraska store in mall source for products made in Nebraska.
GROW Nebraska Retail Coordinator Carla Voss of Cambridge, left, and store managers Sheryll Hickman of Alma, center and Cheryl Hughes of Gibbon sit outside GROW Nebraska's first retail store in Kearney. The store sells only products made by Nebraska-based businesses.
These small Nebraska businesses are among the 217 GROW Nebraska members, who, for years, have looked for ways to sell and market their products.
Now, they have a permanent retail store to showcase their merchandise. GROW Nebraska opened its first retail store in Kearney's Hilltop Mall in August.
The store sells products and merchandise made or designed in Nebraska. It also serves as the distribution center for GROW Nebraska's extensive product line and eCommerce site, www.buygrownebraska.com.
"Nebraskans are always loyal to their state, and people are thrilled to know they can buy products that have a connection to Nebraska," said Janell Anderson Ehrke, CEO and founder of GROW Nebraska. "Opening our pilot store in Kearney is a huge step for us. This really accomplishes our marching orders, which is promotion and awareness of member products.
GROW Nebraska's primary focus is to work with vendors who products homemade goods such as candles, food and beverages, handcrafted gifts, home accessories, lotions, soaps, jewelry, spices, sauces and books.
GROW Nebraska products are sold at 22 retail locations across the state, but the new Kearney store is the first to solely feature GROW Nebraska vendors.
"The store is a phenomenal opportunity for people can't have their own retail locations. It allows our members to have a retail presence they might not have had otherwise," Anderson Ehrke said.
Founded in 1998, GROW Nebraska helps small Nebraska-based businesses market their products. The company had 51 members in its first year and has grown to include 217 members today.
"We have always stayed true to our original goal, which is to strictly serve as a nonprofit marketing organization," Anderson Ehrke said. "Before we eve started the program, we had a showcase where we invited artisans to come in and have their products critiqued by experts.
"There was an overwhelming response from people when we asked if there was a need for a program such as GROW Nebraska," she said." So we knew going into it that the response might be good."
In addition to making shoppers familiar with GROW Nebraska products, the store gives members a chance to work directly with consumers and gives them experience in operating a retail business, Anderson Ehrke said.
GROW Nebraska members Cheryl Hughes of HR Poppin' Snacks and Sheryll Hickman of Sheryll Hickman Art in Alma manage the Kearney store. Based on the success of the Kearney location, Anderson Ehrke saids tores are being considered in the Omaha and Scottsbluff markets.
"The major goal at the end of this is to make GROW Nebraska a household word. We want people to know the Kearney store is where to go when you want to get Nebraska-made products."
Story by: Todd Gottula of the Kearney Hub
