Teen builds buzz with honey sales

It's the sweet treat that's been known to help treat allergy symptoms, heal wounds and is a growing industry across the country. And one business owner got involved with it before he could even drive a car.

William Helfgott, 16, began beekeeping at age 8 when his mom encouraged him to enroll in a 4-H program. After he won his own beehive in a raffle during his class, William's mom tended to the hive for the first year while they lived in Augusta. He took more of an interest before taking a break when his family moved to North Augusta.

After his move, William began operating another beehive in his backyard. He decided to bottle some of the honey and sell it door-to-door in his neighborhood.

"My mom thought I was going to be crushed and not sell any," he said.

Within 10 minutes, he had sold out of his liquid gold.

Just a year later in the summer of 2017, the Augusta Prep student became a certified beekeeper through the South Carolina Beekeepers Association and launched River Bluff Honey in its first retail location, The Purple Hull in North Augusta. The product is now in seven locations, including Firefly Distillery in Charleston, S.C. He has purchased a whiskey barrel from the distillery and is planning to age honey in it to give it a whiskey flavor.

"The charred oak will give the honey its flavor, but there's still bourbon residue in the barrel," he said.

William is continuing to learn about the beekeeping industry to grow his business. He recently interned with a beekeeper in Williston, S.C., and plans to become a master beekeeper in the the next two to three years. He now has six hives and hopes to be in 20 stores this year, including some Georgia locations. He will also have a booth at Aiken's Makin' on Sept. 6-7.

While being in the Boy Scouts and tackling school work, William handles every aspect of the business from caring for the bees to working with an accountant to file taxes for the thriving business. For now, he said one of his biggest challenges is keeping up with demand and having enough jars available to get his product out at an affordable price.

Despite the occasional setback such as waiting on jars or issues with labels, William said he definitely sees a career in business or agriculture business in his future.

"Right now I can see what I'm doing and can see the paycheck coming in," he said. "It's a lot of work, but you immediately see the rewards."

Woods Farm Market, Aiken

Deep Water Distillery, Charleston

Caviar and Bananas, Charleston

The Purple Hull, North Augusta

High Cotton, North Augusta

The Larder, North Augusta

The Edge Salon and Spa, North Augusta

Jim Bush Flower Shop, North Augusta

Where to get River Bluff Honey