GA Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) Georgia Tech

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Menu
  • Who We Are
    • About the GaMEP IconAbout Us
      Learn more about GaMEP
    • GaMEP Purpose IconGaMEP Purpose
      Discover how GaMEP can help you advance your manufacturing goals
    • Multiple-people-3Meet the GaMEP Team
      Get to know the team that helps more than 1,000 manufacturers succeed each year
    • Close
  • What We Do
    • Southeast Energy Management Program IconLeadership Development
      Give your new and existing leaders the tools to succeed
    • Business Growth IconStrategic Growth
      Identify and develop new business opportunities
    • Technology Services by GaMEP IconTechnology
      Integrate technology to grow your competitiveness and gain new business
    • Lean and Process Improvement Services by GaMEP IconLean and Process Improvement
      Reduce waste and improve productivity, allowing you to take on new business
    • Quality Services by GaMEP IconQuality
      Enhance the quality of your products and increase customer satisfaction
    • Energy Services by GaMEP IconEnergy
      Generate energy cost savings at your facility
    • Environmental Services by GaMEP IconEnvironmental
      Improve your environmental footprint and increase profitability
    • Close
  • How We Work
    • Onsite Implementation Services by GaMEP IconOnsite & Virtual Implementation
      Implement cost savings and business growth solutions throughout your plant
    • Training Services by GaMEP IconTraining
      Learn about GaMEP's open-enrollment courses
    • Magnifying Glass IconIndustry Focus Areas
      GaMEP's offers industry-specific initiatives and expertise for food and automotive manufacturing
    • Events by GaMEP IconEvents
      Find events throughout Georgia
    • Peer-to-peer Learning by GaMEP IconPeer-to-Peer Learning
      Join the Advanced Manufacturing Consortium or the CEO Forum and benchmark with other manufacturers
    • Connection to Georgia Tech IconConnection to Georgia Tech Resources
      Uniting manufacturers with GaMEP at Georgia Tech Connections
    • Close
  • How We Make A Difference
    • GaMEP Success Stories IconSuccess Stories
      Discover the positive impact GaMEP has made on Georgia manufacturers
    • GaMEP Statewide Impact IconStatewide Impact
      Learn how GaMEP's reach extends throughout the state
    • Champion of Manufacturing IconChampion for Manufacturing
      See how GaMEP serves as a voice to and for manufacturing in Georgia
    • Economic Development IconEconomic Development
      Understand how GaMEP's close ties to the manufacturing community promote Georgia's economic growth
    • dashboardGeorgia Manufacturing Data Dashboard
      See a a snapshot of how the state's economy is performing in the manufacturing sector
    • Coronavirus IconCoronavirus Resources
      Find COVID-19 information and resources
    • Close
  • Connect with Us
    • GaMEP Regional Locations IconRegional Locations
      Contact your local region manager
    • Read the GaMEP Blog IconRead Our Blog
      Stay up-to-date on the latest information for manufacturers
    • Sign-up for the GaMEP Newsletter IconSign up for Manufacturing Connect!
      Sign-up to receive GaMEP's newsletter, "Manufacturing Connect"
    • Contact the GaMEP IconContact Us
      Get in touch with GaMEP
    • Close

Success Story-King of Pops

Click here for more information on Strategic Growth Services.

Contact Your Region Manager

“Being a part of the roundtable is really valuable to me. It is almost like business therapy where I can share with others what our issues are and they can give advice based on their experiences with similar challenges. I love that they can share the knowledge they have gained through years of being in the manufacturing business with me and I can help them put a fresh set of eyes on their issues and come up with new ways of doing things.”

 

– Nick Carse, co-founder, King of Pops

Georgia is known for its strong agricultural heritage and history. Driving down I-75 to South Georgia, it is hard to miss the commemorative World’s Largest Peanut monument. Few stop to question, however, how that raw produce becomes the products Georgians purchase at the grocery store and take home for dinner. It’s Georgia’s food manufacturing or food processing sector that creates that bridge and brings fresh food and produce from the farm to your plate.

In 2010, brothers Nick and Steven Carse, joined the ranks of Georgia food manufacturers when they started King of Pops, a craft popsicle business in Atlanta, Georgia. Drawing inspiration from paletas, roadside frozen treat carts they saw in Mexico, the Carse brothers quit their corporate jobs and began to produce high-quality, handmade popsicles, leveraging their access to the South’s fresh local produce to develop unique and interesting flavors.

Within the first few years demand skyrocketed and the brothers — who launched the business with no prior experience working in manufacturing — sought to streamline their system and prepare for sustainable growth.

“We started out thinking of ourselves as producers or makers, but not really as manufacturers,” Nick Carse said. “At some point we realized that really anyone who is making something is a manufacturer and that by utilizing resources for manufacturing companies and connecting with our peers, we could upgrade our process without sacrificing quality.”

In 2016, Carse was visiting another company’s manufacturing plant to observe its layout and process, when he met Bill Ritsch, GaMEP north metro Atlanta region manager, and inquired about the services provided by the GaMEP at Georgia Tech. Ritsch introduced him to Ed Murphy, GaMEP project manager, who spoke with Carse about joining the CEO Roundtable program to introduce him to other manufacturing leaders and provide a forum for advice and discussion. Carse joined and began meeting with Murphy and the CEO group monthly in Columbus, Georgia.

“Being a part of the roundtable is really valuable to me. It is almost like business therapy where I can share with others what our issues are and they can give advice based on their experiences with similar challenges,” Carse said. “I love that they can share the knowledge they have gained through years of being in the manufacturing business with me and I can help them put a fresh set of eyes on their issues and come up with new ways of doing things.”

Murphy agreed, adding, “Nick has really been a great addition to the group. He thinks outside of the box and has real insight into marketing, branding, social media, and millennial culture, which has been invaluable to the others in the group looking for a different approach or perspective. They, in turn, share their expertise in manufacturing operations and leadership. It is great to see Georgia companies all working together to help each other improve and grow.”

Beyond popsicle manufacturing, the King of Pops empire now includes several other businesses including King of Pups, Tree Elves, and King of Crops, an organic farm in west Georgia that grows some of the produce used in their popsicles. In 2018, King of Pops plans to move to a new manufacturing facility in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood. The brothers also plan to formalize their food safety management system.

In just eight years, King of Pops has grown from a tiny startup business, into a thriving company of 30 full-time employees distributing its products in eight cities.

When asked what advice Carse would give to other startups and manufacturing companies looking to grow he said, “Get ready to jump in, hustle, and give up your weekends for the next five years. Be willing to take risks, but also ask for help when you need it. And at the end of the day you gotta believe in what you are doing.”

While the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Georgia Tech (GaMEP) works with all types of manufacturers, food manufacturing companies often require unique and specialized solutions to help them grow and stay competitive. If you are interested in learning more about the services GaMEP offers for food manufacturers, contact Wendy White, GaMEP Food Industry Project Manager, at ude.hcetagnull@etihww.

Download the King of Pops Success Story Flyer.

Copyright © 2023 · Georgia Tech - Enterprise Innovation Institute