Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Kay.
Jason, please share your story with us.
The journey to owning Josh Powell Summer Camp started, ironically, when I was a camper back in the early 90s. My business partner and aunt, Suzanne, was one of Josh’s longtime counselors and some of the most formative memories of my childhood were at camp, thanks to her and Josh.
Josh had started the camp back in the early 70s, initially as a sports camp in the city, until buying 25 acres in the country. He erected a sawmill, fell trees, milled timber and over time, he built the camp from the ground up. I remember going for rides with Josh in his old 76 Chevy pick-up for more popsicles from the corner store down the small two lane road, lined with trees. It truly felt like the country and although things have changed and development has surrounded the property, the camp Josh built has remained the same after all these years.
In late 2015, after camp had been closed for a year and was at risk of being developed, Suzanne and I were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to carry on the JP Camp operation, as Josh had passed away and his wife was moving into retirement. After a whirlwind winter and spring of working with banks, cleaning up the property and getting the word out that JPC was back, we re-opened camp in 2016. Having once been a camper, and Suzanne a counselor, we were now back at camp after all those years, but we were in charge. Things felt like they had come full circle, and it was now our mission to preserve and foster the camp experience, just the way Josh intended. We will continue to provide a classic, low-stress summer camp for kids to grow and learn, for as long as we are able.
Has it been a smooth road?
Taking on a new business is never an entirely smooth process, but thanks to the continued support of the Powells, we felt well equipped to take on the challenge of bringing JP Camp back to life.
Having been closed a year, we had no idea what to expect with the re-opening of camp, but we had high hopes Atlanta families would be as excited as we were to have JPC back in business. There were the fear families may have moved on to new and different camps.
We knew JPC had a strong following, but we never imagined there would be such an outpouring of support and excitement at camp being back in session. Registration was over half full in just the first week of opening and we knew that JPC was as special to hundreds of families around Atlanta as it was to us.
After this first year, things have continued to get better and better. We have started offering seasonal camps during Winter, Fall and Spring breaks, at the request of camp families and those have given us an opportunity to get creative with seasonal themes. Off-season feels like it lasts forever, so we really enjoy having camp sessions scattered throughout the year to look forward to.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Josh Powell Summer Camp story. Tell us more about the business.
Josh Powell Camp was founded in 1973, by Josh Powell who had a vision for creating something unique and meaningful, with his own grit and imagination. He started with a sawmill in the woods of Cherokee county, and after he built himself a house, he started work on what would become one of the best summer camps a kid could dream of. The camp is much the same as it was when I was a camper here, offering traditional outdoor activities including canoeing, archery, art, hiking, swimming, kickball, fort building, crafting and more.
We are known for providing an unplugged, low-stress intro to summer camp for 5-9-year-olds. Campers come to JP Camp on their first day a little wary and unsure of themselves, as it tends to be one of their first times away from home for an extended period and we take pride in our staff for putting kids at ease and allowing them to let loose, have fun, and learn at their own pace. The day camp setting we provide is the perfect introduction to get children accustomed to camp and ready to sleep away camp and in the process, we create some epic summer memories and experiences!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The camp industry seems to continue to become more and more saturated with high-quality camps, with a lot of focus on specialization. I think this provides an awesome opportunity for families to give their kids an even better summer experience, full of learning and growth based upon their specific interests, but this comes with added competition, of course.
We don’t see this as a negative, but an opportunity to remain true to providing the camp experience Atlanta families have come to know and trust for over 40 years. While the competition enables families to supplement their kids’ summer experience with a myriad of awesome, unique camps, we will continue to. We view it as a win/win for camps, campers and parents.
Pricing:
- One session as a car rider is $375
- One session as a bus rider is $400
Contact Info:
- Address: 5242 Wade Green Road
Acworth, GA 30102 - Website: www.JoshPowellCamp.com
- Phone: 404-635-3413
- Email: hey@joshpowellcamp.com
Image credit:
Beth Fornuto Photography
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