Parsons, West Virginia — After 36 years, Mountain State Honey Company in Parsons has new owners. Kelly and Leslie Kipp recently purchased the business from Paul and Alisa Poling who established it in 1989.
The business will remain in Parsons, and Mountain State Honey will continue to offer the same wide variety of products to retail and wholesale customers. The Kipps will also continue to offer pollination services. The couple resides in Hardy County but plans to make Parsons their home during the work week.
“Paul and Alisa set the standard, and I intend to continue the excellent service and care they’ve provided for nearly four decades,” Kelly Kipp said. “Their dedication to the craft is an inspiration.” Kipp explained that when he established his first hives, it was Paul Poling, then a state bee inspector, who came to evaluate Kipp’s bees. “I’ve dreamed of becoming a commercial beekeeper from the very beginning,” Kipp shared. “The Lord placed this opportunity in front of me, and I am beyond grateful. This allows me to live out a dream I’ve held for many years.”
The transfer of ownership included approximately 800 hives of bees, which are seasonally located in Tucker and surrounding counties. For 20 years, Mountain State Honey has been shipping bees to central California in the winter to pollinate almonds. In the past, the company also transported bees to Delaware and Maryland for melon and cucumber pollination.
Paul Poling became interested in beekeeping in 1983, and by 1985, he was raising queen bees for himself and others. He started with just a few hives, and his interest in caring for bees eventually led to a job as an apiarist with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Paul taught beekeeping classes and worked hands-on with beekeepers across the state. The Polings ran their small business out of their home for 20 years. During that time, they advertised their company by attending numerous fairs and festivals, selling a variety of honey derived from different West Virginia floral sources. Paul and Alisa purchased a commercial building in Parsons in 2008, and they continued to expand the number of hives and the volume and variety of honey products each year thereafter. Paul retired from the Department of Agriculture in 2014.
The Polings said they appreciate all the generous farmers who allowed them to place honeybee hives on their property over the years. They would also like to thank beekeepers who have purchased honeybee nucleus hives (nucs) each spring. “We would like to thank all the stores who have supported us and everyone who has purchased honey over the years,” Paul added. The Poling’s believe that The Lord is responsible for their success.
Following a Caribbean cruise, Alisa plans to resume her seasonal job as a tax preparer at H&R Block, and Paul plans to spend time developing a small farm the Polings own in Bull Run. He is planning to tap a few maple trees but says a new business venture isn’t part of their retirement plan.
