US and Ohio Made: Why the Buckeye State Continues to be the Best Fit for Our Family Business

US and Ohio Made: Why the Buckeye State Continues to be the Best Fit for Our Family Business

Started in 2011, Guaranteed Horse Products (GHP) had a natural start in Northeast Ohio. If you are familiar with our story, you know that what started in our family’s basement has grown to what GHP is today. Our products were built by riders, for riders from the ground up. With this organic approach, our mom, Laura Gentile, turned to Ohio’s robust manufacturing, utilized the state's prime location, and embraced its love for everything equine.

It all started with an idea.

Laura started with an idea for a natural, chemical free fly spray for horses and those who care for them. With her background in, and dedication to Biology and Chemistry, Laura began work on what would soon become the first iteration of Fly Bye! Plus. Quickly after word spread about the effectiveness of her creation, she found multiple manufacturers in the animal care space right in Northeast Ohio! After choosing manufacturing partners, and with research and development at her fingertips, GHP began to expand. 

Why Ohio?

Ohio provided an ideal location for the manufacturing of the products and the perfect location for distribution. As a state, it is centrally located within a day's drive to more than 60% of the US and Canadian populations. Additionally, Ohio has the fifth largest Interstate system, with more than 8,000 lane miles.

And last, but certainly not least, is Ohio’s love for horses! With nearly half of Ohio’s land being farmland, it is not surprising horses are a big part of life for many.

Did you know that Ohio ranks within the top five nationally for number of horses owned in the state?

It is estimated that Ohio houses over  300,000 horses, and is home to the largest single breed-horse show in the world, The Quarter Horses Congress. This show alone brings in more than 650,000 people to the Columbus area per year. 

 

GHP has grown tremendously over the years and because of that, new opportunities have come our way. Ohio has played a large role in this growth of our business and will continue to be the heartbeat of our business.

Sources

  1. Data Paddock, American Horse Council. 2016. US horses and state GDP, 2016
  2. Quarter Horse Congress 
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