When Hurricane Helene slammed into Asheville, N.C., in September of 2024, it easily could have been the end of Asheville Tea Company’s success. After all, they lost their entire facility—the building where herbs and botanicals were blended, orders filled, and administrative work took place.
Instead, CEO Jessie Dean—who co-founded the company with her sister, Melissa Dean—developed a deeper bond with their customers.
Immediately after the storm hit, disclosing to customers how business would be affected in the coming months became a priority, even as they lost access to Internet, cell service, and water. “It was a few days before we could find Internet and cell access in a few pockets,” says Jessie Dean. “We were able to at least communicate on social media and on our website [and] turn our website sales off. It was a quick communication to let everyone know what had happened.”
Impressed with this transparency, customers immediately got on board through messages of support, which helped ease the Dolans’ stress in trying to get the business back up and running. They also contributed to a crowd-funding campaign that sought financial donations and invited customers to track their rebuilding process on Instagram. “So many people from around the country donated to us, along with letters about what our tea has meant to them,” says Dean. “That was one of the most powerful things that came out of our experience. I don’t think I would have realized that these products mean so much to so many people.”
Media interviews also helped get the word out that Asheville Tea Company was struggling—but would soon be back.
“There wasn’t really a question about whether we would rebuild. It felt even more urgent to support our community in the wake of a natural disaster,” says Dean.
Much of this is because suppliers are local farmers—not overseas—and contribute to the tea company’s mantras of sustainability and regenerative agriculture. And the Deans share the same community as their farmers and employees.
“In the immediate aftermath following the storm, we confirmed all of our employees and farmers are safe, so that was good news for us,” says Dean.
Next, they checked into the supply, determining what herbs and botanicals could be sourced from regional farmers, to replace what had been destroyed at the facility. They also sourced from outside of the region. By late fall, they were able to produce four teas and a few seasonal blends.
Even so, they lacked a facility to produce these teas. That’s when another tea company stepped in: Sarjesa, in Calgary, in the Canadian province of Alberta. Once Asheville Tea Company shipped ingredients to Sarjesa, they manufactured them into tea bags and sent those back to North Carolina, where they were packaged for customers and shipped from a temporary facility.
“[Alexandra Daignault, founder and owner of Sarjesa,] is a friend of mine and immediately offered to help,” says Dean. “We were able to jump back in relatively quickly and put our products out into the world. We share a lot of the same values. We’re going to continue to work with her as a co-manufacturer of our products.”
While there are currently only six employees, soon the roster will be back to the 11 employees in place before Hurricane Helene. A permanent facility for blending teas opens in Asheville in early 2026, requiring these additional employees for manufacturing.
For other tea companies that endure a natural disaster, Dean offers this advice. “Communication with your customers and building those relationships is so important—not just after, but always,” she says. “Building community with customers goes far when something like this happens. Then you have community and support and you’re not in that alone. Folks were invested in us recovering and being successful.”
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