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Preston County Workshop is a 501(c)3 non-profit, certified by the State of WV as a Community Rehabilitation Program, located in Reedsville, WV.
Their mission is to help people with disabilities secure gainful employment opportunities that align with their distinctive interests, skills, and talents.
Their organization connects a pool of pre-screened, qualified, job-ready employees to opportunities within the local economy, while also providing an array of competitively priced services to businesses and government agencies, throughout the Mountain State.
The Workshop makes sure that people who want to work hard can be successful members of the community.
Show Notes:
- 00:31-2:44: Jim introduces today’s guest, John Hyre and his companies, Hickory Ridge Farm and Preston County Workshop. Jim asks Hyre to give the audience some insight into his personal life and how he got started in this line of work.
- 2:45-7:53: Hyre talks about the journey that led him to this line of work and the need that he saw and is now filling in the community. Hyre also discusses that a large percentage of his employees have intellectual or physical disabilities.
- 7:54-8:01: What is your 30 second elevator pitch for Hickory Ridge Farm?
- 8:02-8:23: “We have a large packing facility here that needs to be utilized for farmers in the area… we have the space, we have the labor to process and package their produce, put it into our cooler and prepare it for shipment wherever it needs to go.”
- 8:24-8:36: What’re you most excited for Hickory Ridge Farm right now?
- 8:37-9:03: “Just that we’re able to grow a wide variety of products.”
- 9:04-9:39: What’s been your worst business moment so far with Hickory Ridge? Tell us about that…
- 9:40- 10:41: Hyre talks about a packaging error that took him and his partners hours to sort after the fact. Hyre says the lesson learned from that is to make sure that your prep work is done before you begin to package your produce.
- 10:42-12:42: What do you think is the best thing about doing business here in West Virginia?
- 12:43-13:24: “It’s because we are growing produce that we can also sell locally to schools, to the challenge academy, to grocery stores and to restaurants.”
- 13:25-13:38: What would you say has been your best business moment so far?
- 13:39-14:03: “Well the best business moment is our guys are learning a skill, not just getting a paycheck that they can take and leave this workshop and go to work for farmers in the local are because they already have the knowledge.”
- 14:04-14:21: How many guys do you employ at the Preston County Workshop and at the farm?
- 14:22-15:18: “We actually have 51 total employees.”
- 15:19-16:07: What is the vision for your organization long-term?
- 16:08-16:42: “To expand that business, to be able to occupy more land and plant more vegetables.” Hyre also talks about the potential of collaborating with other local companies.
- 16:43-17:06 What’s one piece of advice you would give to young people that are thinking about potentially getting into the agriculture business or farming industry?
- 17:07-17:40: “Just don’t give up the first year… you’ve got to be dedicated for many years to see the results.” Hyre says, “You just got to hang in there and in several years, you’ll see the results.”
- 17:41-17:47: What’s one thing you do everyday that you think contributes to your success?
- 17:48-17:59: “Just trying to stay on top of everything and make sure our employees have the tools that they need to do the jobs that they’re doing.”
- 18:00-18:04: What’s one resource that you use in your business that you just can’t live without?
- 18:05-18:23: “The free advertisements and publicity we receive… Without their support and help, we would not be successful.”
- 18:24-20:33: What’s a book you’d recommend to aspiring entrepreneurs and business people?
- 20:34-20:47: Hyre says the West Virginia Executive magazine.
- 20:48-20:57: If you could meet anyone in our state that could possibly help grow your company, who would it be?
- 20:58-21:12: “The commissioner of Agriculture in Charleston.”
- 21:13-21:49: Are you a United Way agency up there in Preston County?
- 21:50-21:58: “Yes we are.”
- 21:59-22:09: Is there anything I missed that you think would be important for our listeners and our readers?
- 22:10-22:41: “We can do the same quality work that any business in the public can do. We do it with pride, we make sure our work is done on time and the work is of quality that is comparable to any business in the state of West Virginia.”
- 22:42-22:30: How can our listeners learn more about you and your company?
- 22:31-23:57: “We have a webpage www.pcworkshop.com we also have a Facebook account and people can stop by the workshop and take a tour and see the quality of work we’re actually doing.”
- 23:59-Close: Jim thanks John Hyre for joining him today on another wonderful episode of Positively West Virginia and recognizes the wonderful sponsors of the show that allow stories like these to be told.