West Virginia

Custard Stand Food Products

Location: Webster Springs, West Virginia
Website: https://custardstand.com/
16 employees in high season

Webster Springs may have “the one traffic light in the whole county,” but that didn’t stop Angie Cowger and her family from dreaming big and turning a treasured recipe into Custard Stand Food Products. It opened as an ice cream stand in 1991, also selling hot dogs topped with the family’s chili. Before long, customers were asking to buy the chili on its own. “My husband and I had been looking for a way to expand our business and he said, ‘Angie, if you can figure out how to market it, I can make it.’ And that's what we did.” In 2003, they turned a car wash into a kitchen and factory and took their hot dog chili to the retail market. “We started out with a map of West Virginia on the wall,” Angie says. “We would take chili in the ice box, a hot plate and a kettle, and go to independent retailers. We'd sample the store owner, the manager, whoever was around.” Now, their products are available in 20 states and 3,000 grocery stores.

Alissa Clayton, Angie’s daughter and Custard Stand’s social media and marketing manager, says that while they were always efficient, Google tools boosted their reach and capabilities and account for more than 20 percent of their business growth. Angie uses Google Workspace–Calendar is her favorite–to keep the team organized and up to date. “I can create an event for a demo, add everyone from the person packing the supplies to the ad person, and put all kinds of notes in there,” Angie says. She uses Gemini for email support: “I have a tendency to be very wordy,” she admits, “but when I use Google Workspace with Gemini, I can write an email and then get help to shorten it. And it’s easy!” In 2024, the company saw over 30 percent revenue growth and has an expansion in the works. “It amazes me how my parents figured it all out and reached this level,” Alissa says. “My mom doesn’t take no for an answer–that’s the driving force behind this business.”

Elk City Auto Spa

Location: Charleston, West Virginia
Website: https://www.elkcityautospa.com/
300 five-star reviews

C. Anthony Parker knows cars. He started his first dealership at age 19, selling cars for nearly two decades and expanding into body and mechanical work before deciding to focus on the detailing side of the industry. In 2019, C. Anthony founded Elk City Auto Spa to keep the cars in his hometown of Charleston looking sharp. “We spend around nine hours transforming a filthy vehicle into a showroom-quality vehicle inside and out,” he says with pride. ”And our clients love what we do.” Elk City Auto Spa and their 7 employees serve over 1,500 customers yearly across the Mountain State, cleaning everything from minivans to fleet vehicles with top-notch attention to detail, using compounds C. Anthony designed himself. Since the beginning, he’s trusted Google tools to help his business deliver customer experiences that sparkle.

More than 80 percent of customers find Elk City Auto Spa through their Google Business Profile, where they showcase their skills, photos of their work, and–most importantly–their happy customers. When potential customers see over 300 five-star reviews, they “know that they’ve found the best,” C. Anthony explains. Revenue is up more than 300 percent since the shop began using their Business Profile. “These leads are hot and ready. They’ve seen our work, they’ve seen the reviews, and they know they can trust us,” he says. Elk City Auto Spa also uses Google Workspace tools like Slides and Sheets to deliver business presentations and customer invoices that are as polished and professional as their work. As they look to the future, they plan to add a traveling detailing service and hire more technicians, and they’re looking into AI-powered chatbots to process customer inquiries even faster. “Charleston is a small city with a big heart,” C. Anthony says. “Being a cornerstone business that people here can count on means everything.”

Tickers & Timbers

Location: Barboursville + Charleston, West Virginia
Website: https://tickersandtimbers.com/
About 60% of revenue comes from Google Ads

Tonya Perry and her partner, Jerry Lawson, opened Tickers & Timbers in November 2020, offering escape rooms and axe throwing to active West Virginians. Tonya had worked as a developmental therapist for over 20 years, but COVID-19 brought a swift end to her home visits. “As a single mom, I really had no other income coming in, and it was very scary,” Tonya recalls. “So, I took matters into my own hands and switched gears.” Tickers & Timbers has since added rage rooms and paint splatter rooms to the mix, and they opened a second location in downtown Charleston in 2022. The two family entertainment venues serve about 26,000 customers per year, playing host to birthday parties, date nights, and team-building events.

Tickers & Timbers began running Google Ads right away. “I think that has really let the community know what we have to offer,” Tonya says. “I’ve utilized Google Ads every single month since we’ve been open.” She estimates that 30 percent of Tickers & Timbers’ bookings come directly through Google Ads, with another 30 percent of revenue derived from customers who’ve seen Google Ads and returned to their site later. She also credits Google Ads with building buzz around their Charleston opening, helping the venue quickly achieve the same success as their original location. Tonya uses Google Analytics to keep track of click-through rates and adjust ads accordingly. Google Drive, meanwhile, helps Tonya collaborate with her 12 employees as they share plans and ideas for new escape rooms. Creating new escape rooms is one of the best parts of running Tickers & Timbers, according to Tonya, and she sees new rooms and new locations on the horizon. “Obviously, owning a small business isn't an easy choice,” she says, “but it's great to know that we are providing something to the community that we never had before.”

Appalachian Botanical Co.

Location: Foster, West Virginia
Website: https://appalachianbotanical.com/
55 employees

West Virginians are used to being self-sufficient, and when they have a good idea, they’ll make it blossom. When a federally funded grant project growing lavender–a hearty plant that loves rocky soil–on reclaimed coal mine land ended, team member Jocelyn Sheppard knew she had found a good idea for a business–and for her southern West Virginia community. “We’re employing former coal miners, veterans, people who didn’t finish high school, and people who just need a second chance. They enjoy growing lavender, and don’t have to move away to make a living,” Jocelyn says. Appalachian Botanical Co. stands as a bold alternative to the 98 percent of lavender that is imported into the U.S., selling premium aromatherapy, body care items, and culinary products made from Boone County’s own lavender fields. And as Appalachian Botanical Co. makes plans to grow demand for West Virginia’s finest across the country and around the world, they’re using Google tools to help make it happen.

With a good sense of who their local buyers are, Appalachian Botanical Co. focuses their Google Ads to find more customers nationwide and around the world. They use Google Ads to identify dense population clusters that make for super efficient ad campaigns. “We’re finding them in Southern California, Texas, Colorado, and more; Google Ads is just so valuable because it gets us the most bang for our buck,” Jocelyn says. And when COVID-19 compounded the communication challenges in the remote and mountainous state, Google Workspace tools like Google Meet and Docs kept Jocelyn’s team connected, productive, and on the same page. Appalachian Botanical Co. is growing just as fast as their lavender fields–continuing to give second chances to West Virginia’s people and land, and to export a little piece of the Mountain State to the rest of the world. “I'm just so proud of everything that we've accomplished,” Jocelyn says. “And I'm excited about the opportunities to come.”

Climbing New Heights

Location: Martinsburg, West Virginia
Website: https://www.climbingnewheightswv.com/
30% revenue (or 50% customer) growth over 3 years

When Chris Price left the Air Force after 12 years, he tried rock climbing as a way to regain his civilian footing and developed a passion for the sport. In 2017, he bought a rock climbing gym, Climbing New Heights, from a fellow veteran in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Chris and co-owner Jordyn Truax wanted people to discover the joy of climbing, so they reoriented the business to welcome beginners and hosted veteran and adaptive climbing events. “Our staff is trained in making people feel comfortable,” Jordyn says. “We’re committed to growing the local climbing community.” They turned to Google Ads to promote events and classes, and their Business Profile on Google helps climbers find their location and hours. They’ve seen 30-percent revenue growth and a 50-percent increase in customers over three years, and have since added an outdoor climbing and guide service. “Our passion is getting people outside,” explains Jordyn. “For them to see their indoor training come to fruition when they summit is pretty cool.”

Chris and Jordyn had to adjust quickly when COVID-19 forced restrictions on gyms. While shutdown, they installed a MoonBoard, an interactive training wall with programmable routes and app-progress tracking to attract new clients when they reopened. Once open again, they offered members extended hours for private sessions, which became extremely popular. Their Business Profile on Google was crucial for alerting customers about changing hours, mask requirements, and other new policies. Google Ads helped attract new customers—some from several hours away—whose regular gyms had closed. Chris and Jordyn have lots of plans in the works, such as adding a climbing team for kids, more outdoor offerings, and special New Year’s resolution events—and they plan to promote them via Google Ads campaigns. “Google is really important to us,” Jordyn says. “At this point, when we’re growing as a business, they are influential in determining our success.”

Mountain View Solar

Location: Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Website: www.mtvsolar.com
25 employees

When Mike McKechnie settled in rural West Virginia, he never imagined he’d become a successful, self-employed business owner. For years, Mike worked as a handyman, doing small projects for local homeowners before he learned enough to acquire a contractor license in 1996. Mike found his niche building high-end, energy-efficient homes, which spurred his interest in wind and solar energy. By 2009, he had completely shifted his focus to renewable energy systems and established Mountain View Solar. Mike quickly acquired a number of residential and commercial clients, and Mountain View was on its way. After a few successful years, he began looking for ways to grow his business even more. “I needed quality solar leads that were in the demographics we wanted,” he said. To reach more people actively looking for or interested in solar solutions, Jabari Baker, business development manager at Mountain View Solar, suggested running Google Ads. “We were looking to grow the business, and traditional print ads and billboards weren’t doing the trick anymore,” said Jabari. “We’ve always had a word-of-mouth type of business, but we were looking to expand that.”

Mountain View Solar launched its first Google Ads campaign in 2015, which ended up being its most successful year up to that point. “That’s when we saw a big spike in our gross sales,” said Mike, citing a 200% increase in revenue from 2014. “When I saw the numbers coming in, it was easy for me to get rid of the antiquated marketing and advertising campaigns we’d been using for a decade and get into something more modern.” Today, roughly one-third of the company’s leads come from Google Ads, contributing to a steady yearover-year revenue growth of 10-15%. Mountain View Solar also relies on G Suite tools like Docs, Sheets, and Drive to run business operations smoothly. “Google gave us a platform to modernize and move our data operations to the cloud,” said Mike.

The company’s success with Google Ads encouraged Mike to allocate 80-90% of his advertising budget to digital. “We consider Google a major part of our business,” said Jabari. “As Google continues to grow its automation tools, we plan to keep using them to reach our audience.” Mountain View Solar is committed to spreading the word about the importance of renewable energy online and in schools. “We go to schools and we talk to the kids about how energy works — it’s been a great way to interact with our small community,” said Mike.

Grogg’s Home Services

Location: Parkersburg, West Virginia
Website: www.groggs.com
60 employees

In 1996, Tim Hanlon and his wife, Carma, took a leap of faith in purchasing Grogg’s Home Services, a heating-and-air-conditioning business founded by her father, Leon Grogg. Operating first out of their home, Tim learned the trade while working a second job, and Carma juggled phone calls and scheduling with raising their children. They dispatched service calls from their kitchen, and on one occasion, the neighbor’s dog stole a pair of their employee’s work boots off the porch. “He had to get to the job, so I gave him $50 to buy a pair of boots on his way to the customer’s house,” Tim recalls. Their hard work and philosophy of exceeding expectations have made Grogg’s Home Services a success.

The company has been online since 2006. While Tim admits he resisted technology at first, “eventually, I became the driving force behind totally getting out of the yellow pages,” he shares. Today AdWords, Google’s advertising program, accounts for 80 percent of their online sales, according to Director of Finance and IT Adam McDowell. They use insights from Google Analytics to optimize their ad campaigns, improve web traffic, and keep customers engaged. The Internet has allowed the company to expand their service area from West Virginia into Ohio, and informs customers about new service offerings. “Online advertising has helped us reach further than what typical print media will allow us to reach,” says Adam. “And having that online presence to say we now provide these other services has been huge.”

Grogg’s Home Services has long since outgrown the Hanlons' kitchen, adding a Clarksburg branch to their location in Parkersburg. They service nearly 10,000 customers a year, and have expanded into electrical, plumbing, and other services. Despite their growth, Adam says, “Grogg’s is still very much a family environment.” They offer extensive training—75 to 100 hours a year—to their employees. “We invest in them because we want them to stay here, and to have the tools they need to be successful,” he explains. They also give back to the community by donating to charities and supporting local families in need. “We always try to do the right thing, even if it costs us money to do so,” Tim says, which has earned Grogg’s a reputation for providing reliable, quality service, and for doing right by customers and employees alike.

Parkline, Inc.

Location: Eleanor, West Virginia
Website: www.parkline.com
110 employees in West Virginia

Parkline, Inc., manufactures metal buildings and provides electrical systems integration services for a variety of industries. Their roots go back to the 1930s, when the oil-and-gas industry needed durable and rigid buildings to use in production fields. "Sometime in the last 10 or 15 years, the market shifted," explains Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mark Repp. "Customers started asking for modular buildings that offer plug-and-play convenience." Now Parkline manufactures prefabricated, custom-designed metal buildings and also supplies materials to customers who want to assemble the buildings themselves. "Our buildings can house anything from electrical switchgear to gas metering and protective relay equipment—just about anything you'd want to keep in a clean and dry environment," he says.

Parkline is developing their digital marketing strategy to find customers searching for their industrial products and services. They’ve used AdWords, Google's advertising program, since 2009 “to get in front of people who otherwise would never know we exist,” Mark says. "AdWords gives us the best investment for our money. We have a small sales force, so it’s important for reaching a broader audience.” Today, 30 to 40 percent of Parkline’s marketing budget is spent on digital advertising, and AdWords drives about 30 percent of their leads. They also use Google Analytics to better understand their customers and see which marketing tactics are most effective. "The industry has changed, and we've changed along with it. We're working with Google to learn more about effective digital marketing. We know we're pointed in the right direction," Mark says.

Parkline acquired Texas-based Bebco Industries in 2016 to meet the growing demand for custom-built modular buildings. This added another 90 employees to their base. In their West Virginia headquarters, they continue to be, as Mark describes, "a good local citizen,” whether by supporting local schools’ sports teams or participating in food and gift drives during the holidays. “West Virginia has gone through some challenging times economically, so when businesses here, large or small, succeed and grow and get involved in the community, it’s only a good thing,” he explains. With strong aspirations for growth in West Virginia and now Texas, Parkline plans to be a good local citizen for years to come.

Capon Springs and Farms

Location: Capon Springs, West Virginia
Website: www.caponsprings.net
Capon Springs and Farms has 7,500 seasonal guests

Four generations of one family have owned and operated Capon Springs and Farms since the depths of the Great Depression in 1932. The company originally bottled the spring water, before resurrecting the historic resort destroyed by fire two decades earlier. Many current guests are descendants of people who first visited 80 years ago. Activities include golf (regular, disc, and fling), hiking, swimming, fishing, spa services and more. “It's an all-inclusive getaway and a step back in time,” says Jonathan Bellingham, Marketing Manager. “It's humbling what the place means to so many people. Some of them came here as kids and have now gone through generations of their family, just like ours.”

Located 100 miles west of Washington, DC, and open seven months a year, the resort for decades relied solely on word-of-mouth to attract new guests. And it was the regular visitors themselves who encouraged the business into expanding their presence on the web and social media. Since 2013, the resort has revamped their website, including making it mobile-friendly, and has learned to use many digital tools. Google Analytics helps them make good business decisions and keep their website relevant. A YouTube channel lets them share videos. Google Docs and Sheets let the extended family communicate easily with one another about the business. Jonathan’s niece helps keep their social media fresh and interesting.

“We're not trying to go from zero to sixty, but we're certainly going from zero to thirty and learning along the way,” Jonathan says. After decades of mostly steady business, Capon Springs and Farms saw more than 6% additional guests and an 8% jump in revenue in 2015. As a successful business in a remote area, they employ 125 seasonal workers, 20 full-time staff, and help support the local fire and rescue squads. The resort’s digital surge “has been very reaffirming and very reassuring that the future is bright,” Jonathan adds. “Is there a real need in the marketplace and in the world for a place like this? What I'm hearing is a resounding yes.”