Ted Dennard
Ted grew up on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, and was first introduced to honey as a 12-year old boy. An elderly beekeeper named Roy Hightower opened his eyes to a world of magic in honeybees. For Ted, the love of bees is a way of life. He kept bees in high school and college. He taught beekeeping to Jamaican farmers in the Peace Corps.
Fifteen years ago, Ted had beehives along the Altamaha River. He bottled some of that honey and gave it to a friend who was opening a store in downtown Savannah. When more stores wanted to sell his honey, Ted moved the operation to his garage.
With his passion blossoming into a business, Ted decided to quit his job and put all his efforts into Savannah Bee Company. 2012 finds Ted in a 40,000 square foot warehouse on Wilmington Island, Georgia, operating four retail stores, bottling distinct world-class honeys, and creating a luxury beeswax-based body care line. Today’s operation is stark contrast to the days in Ted’s kitchen, but his passion has never changed. “I just love it,” he says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
