Founder
Petra in 2007
Petra
Geiger, 40, grew up in a family that was equal parts entrepreneurial and
artistic, and she learned how to sew and craft at an early age from her mother.
She received a bachelor of arts degree in Mass Communication from Tulane
University and a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from
California College of the Arts.
Petra
spend 10 years honing her design, marketing and branding skills by initially
working for a celebrated San Francisco designer, then as an independent freelance
designer, and later as a Director of Marketing and Graphic Design for a
contract furniture manufacturer owned by Herman Miller, Inc.
In 2000, Geiger and her husband, Todd Relaford, launched Beehive Industries with a line of original stationery. Geiger and Relaford relocated their family to Atlanta in 2001 and quickly added a handmade line of handbags and other new products to the mix, which they started selling at local seasonal markets. They soon met other designers who shared their frustration at the lack of viable retail opportunities and the idea for Beehive Co-op was born.
Stationery & handbags that comprised the Beehive Industries line
Petra founded Beehive Co-op Atlanta in 2004 and after three highly successful years announced in January 2007 planned expansion into major U.S. markets through a Beehive franchise program. After numerous requests from people around the country for information on "how you do it" it made sense to take the franchise system and adapt it to suit our needs. Each location has the benefit of a local owner who is tapped into the community and the support of a proven operating system and network of stores.
October 1st, 2007, the Atlanta store was sold to a marketing executive and customer Viviana Campbell. Once the transition was completed, Petra relocated to New York and currently resides there with Relaford and their two children, Lucy and Kaspar, and is working on the launch of Beehive Co-op Mt. Kisco in September 2008.LOCATIONS
