Hinton, W.Va. (Dec. 15, 2022) – The West Virginia Hive has selected Botany Tropicals, co-
owned by Jordan Casey and Steven Jones, as its 2022 Small Business Startup of the Year.
“Innovation, response to adversity, and measurable accomplishments are key criteria
businesses must meet to earn this recognition,” said Judy Moore, executive director of the WV
Hive and deputy director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority. “Jordan and
Steven have met and exceeded all expectations in these objectives.”
The owners of Botany Tropicals came to the WV Hive after deciding to turn their hobby of
cultivating houseplants into a business and realizing they had no idea how to succeed. The WV
Hive helped Casey and Jones develop a business plan and financial projections, hire their first
employee, and learn how to operate a business. Botany Tropicals has also applied and been
approved for WV Hive technical assistance to create a logo, promotional video, and website.
Botany Tropicals at 321 3 rd Avenue in Hinton offers a fun, unique plant shop with personal, one-
of-a-kind, interactive experiences. Customers dive “hand-first” into the dirt to build terrariums,
attend plant parties, and find the best houseplant for their home. The newest addition to their
offerings is an innovative service called Plant 911. This service will launch early in 2023 and will
feature a complete rescue package to help revive and restore a sick plant. The first step of this
process is a houseplant consultation, including recommendations of products to ensure a plant
is brighter, happier, and healthier than ever. A lighting assessment will also be done to assist
with plant selection and placement. The Plant 911 service won the STEM award in the Pitch
Southern WV small business competition held at WVU Tech in September 2022. Botany
Tropicals was one of six businesses that “pitched” to judges, and it also won the third place
prize in the overall competition.
The WV Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the NRGRDA and the administrator of the
Country Roads Angel Network. Its 13-county service area includes Raleigh, Fayette, Summers,
Nicholas, Webster, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Monroe, Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Logan, and
Mingo counties. More information about the WV Hive can be found at https://wvhive.com/.
