bremer
Boyd County Middle School eighth grader and owner of Joe’s Bars and Suds, Joe Bremer. PHOTO BY EMILY MOSELEY
Joe Bremer is not your typical eighth grader. When he is not attending Boyle County Middle School, he operates a goats’ milk and glycerin soap business in Boyle County called Joe’s Bars and Suds, LLC, and he has his sights set on expanding into the Lexington market.
A few years ago, after a visit to a store specializing in hand-crafted soaps in Tarpon Springs, Fla., Bremer was intrigued. He challenged his mother, saying, “If they can do it, we can do it.” That was when Bremer first conceived the idea of learning how to make goats’ milk soap.
While living outside of Chicago at the time, he researched soap recipes on the Internet, read books and watched YouTube videos to create his own recipes and methods.
“It got better, but wasn’t perfect,” he said of his soap-making skill, “but I kept working at it.” He also pleaded for a goat, but the Chicago suburbs were not receptive to animal husbandry.
His family moved to Danville about two years ago and finally had enough land for goats. Although he raises and shows goats, he buys his goat milk for the soaps from Krieers Farm in Perryville.
“Milking goats is complicated,” he said. His soap-making method uses goats’ milk and olive oil as the main ingredients, and he uses the family kitchen to create his products.
As he perfected his soap-making skills and recipes, he wanted to begin marketing and selling his soaps. As the demand grew, he and his family decided he needed to formalize his company. He and his mother, Jackie Bremer, registered Joe’s Bars & Suds, LLC, earlier this year with the Kentucky Secretary of State.
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said she enjoyed meeting Bremer and his mother and helping them through the registration process.
“Young Kentuckians and small businesses help form the foundation for our future,” said Grimes. “I’m really excited to see Joe bringing the two together and proud to support his endeavors.”
Grimes recently met Bremer again in Danville at a Rally for Kids event where he was selling his soaps. She congratulated him on his business success.
Bremer, now 14 years old, said he has no formal business plan, but he has set goals. His mother assists him with administrative work, travel needs, time management, marketing and resource allocation. She also reminds him to set new goals after he attains the ones he previously set.
Bremer belongs to the Boyle County 4H Club, where he is active in the 4-H Means Business program, as well as poultry and livestock clubs. He credits those groups for helping him develop his soap business. The 4-H Means Business program teaches students to set up and operate their own businesses while contributing to their communities. Student entrepreneurs attend shows to sell their products and to learn valuable skills, such as how to engage customers, how to communicate effectively and how to use technology to operate and grow their businesses. The program also encourages students to give back to a cause or community service. Bremer donates a portion of his proceeds to worthy charities like Molly’s Adopt a Sailor, Sunrise Children’s Home, United Way, the 4-H Club and others, as needs and opportunities arise.
Through the 4-H Means Business program, Bremer met Jerry Houck, owner of Footbridge Group, a consulting firm that works with businesses on marketing, advertising, social media and web design. Houck has become a mentor to Bremer and volunteers his time to provide the young man with advice and guidance on marketing, packaging, labeling and interviewing techniques, to help Bremer hone his skills and grow his business. Houck is impressed with how Bremer’s business has caught on and credits the growth, in part, to Bremer’s maturity and personality.
“He’s a fun one to work with,” Houck said.
Bremer estimates that he has sold 500 to 600 bars of soap to date, and he is gearing up for the busy Christmas season. His soaps range in size from travel (1 ounce) to bath bars (4.5 ounces) and are priced from $1.00 to $10.00. He also makes lotions. Scents available include Buttercream, Lavender, Bourbon Vanilla, Peach Pie, Orange Smoothie, Cucumber Melon and, as you might expect from an eighth-grade entrepreneur, Monkey Farts (Banana).
Bremer sells his soaps at local events, fairs and festivals. In addition, Joe’s Bars & Suds are available in Perryville, Ky., at Harvesters Market, in Junction City, Ky., at Sunkissed Tanning and in Danville, Ky., at Muddy Creek Primitives, The Medicine Shoppe, Burkmann’s Feeds, Maple Tree Gallery, and Not Just Antiques. The Woodford Inn in Versailles, Ky., also buys small bars for its guests.
As part of his business expansion goals, he is creating a business website with the URL joesbarsandsuds.com that will be up and running soon, and he is actively looking for retail outlets to sell his products in Lexington. Until such time, arrangements can be made for orders to be shipped. Bremer can be reached at jbremer12@yahoo.com or through his Joe’s Bars & Suds Facebook page.