Steven Goodpaster is excited about an innovative project he helped launch in McMinnville, Tennessee. Let’s catch up.
Steven Goodpaster
In mid-July, the Hive opened in Riverfront Park on the Barren Fork tributary to the Collins River. It’s a self-serve kayak and paddleboard rental kiosk using technology to reserve, pay for and unlock your equipment. The name flows from its design – set up to resemble a beehive. Learn about benefits in this video reel.
We last mentioned Steven in this story. After a 16-year job with a commercial appraiser, he took a job with the U.S. Treasury Department – just to be fired by the Elon Musk team in a sweep of the federal government’s probationary employees.
Steven obtained a short-term consulting contract with Hive Paddlesports, a job that finished “from concept to live operation in just three months.” Or, as Steven puts it, he “contributed to the creation of an ultra-modern, modular rental system featuring smart-lock technology and self-service functionality.”
McMinnville officials are thrilled. City Administrator Nolan Ming was all-in and Jordon Pupols, manager of the tourism and marketing department, said, “Expanding (water) access to different groups of folks that may not typically get out on the water and doing it in a very barrier-free way is just so wonderful.” Full story by Sam Demonbreun here.
McMinnville is the largest city and county seat of Warren County, which lies south of Cookeville on Hwy. 70S. Known as the “Nursery Capital of the World,” McMinnville and Warren County are home to over 400 thriving nurseries. Climate and soil conditions combine to offer a near-perfect growing environment.
“Warren County has some of the best waterways in Tennessee,” Pupols said in the interview. And when Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency decided to establish a “legacy hub” at Riverfront Park, TWRA brought in the commercial dock building company BoardSafe Docks to look at the park. BoardSafe recommended a startup sister company, Hive Paddlesports, and McMinnville became the first Hive installation in the country.
BoardSafe has installed multiple docks in Knox County, one, sponsored by Aubrey’s Restaurants, behind the Powell High baseball field on Brickyard Road, one at Roy Arthur Stormwater Park off Harrell Road, and two on the French Broad River –one at the Seven Islands State Birding Park and one at Cruze Landing. More are in process.
Read what BoardSafe says about the Beaver Creek Kayak Club and its annual flotilla here.
With its attractive yet functional honeycomb design, this product has got to catch on.
Pupols said the project was conceived to serve McMinnville residents, but she quickly realized its benefits for tourism. Without the hassle of loading and hauling a kayak, paddles and life-jackets, the Hive makes that equipment accessible to anyone with a smartphone.
And Powell guy Steven Goodpaster is off to find his next employment adventure.
