Ogallala Bay Rum Transfers Owners After Almost Two Decades in Business

Transitions are underway, with a company many have come to know and love across the nation and the world. After almost two decades in business Ogallala Bay Rum owner Jon Marquis has officially transferred ownership to Rachel Ervin and her husband Brian. Rachel has been looking for an online business and Ogallala has been home to her for most of her life. Her and her husband and two kids now live there and are very active members of the community. She found this transition an easy decision to make.

Rachel states, “I knew that he had grown it into a successful business over the years and that he had done such a great job of creating the brand. Our children are getting older, and life is changing for my husband and I, so I was looking for the ‘next thing’.” She states the last part in quotes. As her passions aligned perfectly.

Rachel follows up with, “I knew business ownership was in my future I just hadn’t settled on anything yet. Brian and I were talking about a few things when I saw the advertisement that the business was for sale. I had a feeling that this was what was next for me and my family. It was exactly what I had prayed for. A business that still allows me the ability to go to my kid’s activities.”

For those that may not know, Ogallala Bay Rum has always been a small but steadily growing one stop shop for all Nostalgic Bay Rum Scented hair and skin care. With this being a family-owned business, it started in the basement of John Marquis back in 2006. They outgrew that as the orders started coming in and eventually transitioned to national catalogs and forty countries through their online platform.

It’s a bittersweet transition. Because although we are sad to see John Marquis go since he has been a GROW Nebraska member even before his brand was established in 2003, we are so excited to continue our partnership with Rachel as the owner.

She has some new ideas coming up in the future hoping to expand the brand Rachel states “I want to keep the roots of Ogallala Bay Rum. I like the history of it and I’m a bit of a nostalgic person. I do have plans to expand things in the future offering a line of feminine scented products and private soap labels for other wholesalers as well as expanding with travel sizes in all the soaps and lotions that are current favorites.”

Rachel is most excited that she gets to work with a brand that has already been established and can continue to grow the legacy. She states, “I am excited about partnering with GROW Nebraska! You are the best at promoting Nebraska based businesses and helping business owners be successful. You offer so many tools and assist in a variety of ways that we businesses can’t help but benefit from.”

GROW Nebraska would like to congratulate Rachel on this incredible new adventure and wish John Marquis a happy retirement!

By Katee Daly

The GROW Nebraska® Foundation was founded with the idea of expanding resources to businesses and entrepreneurs alike to make a sustainable living anywhere within the state of Nebraska. As a 501(c) 3 educational foundation, the GROW Nebraska® Foundation was founded in 1998 and now works to extend resources, training, a brick and mortar store, as well as an eCommerce site full of Nebraska products to help elevate Nebraska-based businesses and connect Nebraska entrepreneurs to the global marketplace. Support or join GROW Nebraska Foundation’s efforts by visiting www.grownebraska.org.  

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