Rachel and Billy Smith recently relocated from Richmond Hill, GA to Statesboro with the goal of reducing the commute for Rachel, an Assistant Professor of Management at Georgia Southern University; however, the location they chose makes this move extra special. They recently purchased Twin Oaks Farm & Vineyard, an event venue that has hosted many weddings and gatherings over the years.
Billy, who works from home for a software company, explains that the couple was searching for a specific type of property that would enable them to cultivate a family enterprise.
"We were looking for an opportunity that we could form into a business. I've got some family who has a couple similar properties, and [we] have been involved in those quite a bit, so we started looking purposefully into wedding venues," Smith says.
The couple stumbled upon an old listing for Twin Oaks and contacted the previous owners to see if it was still on the market. As fate would have it, the property was not only available but coming up for auction, so the Smiths invested in what would be their new business venture.
The venue has been operating under the Smiths' management for about a month now and has already hosted several events since the couple took over. They have plans to renovate many areas, including the cottage, to ensure the satisfaction of current and future guests.
"We've been doing a lot of work; there's some work that needs to be done on the property to improve it," Smith says.
The bonus of the land is the sprawling vineyard of muscadines, which the Smiths are eager to learn about. They plan to consult an expert in order to become more knowledgeable about the care of these unique grapes.
"We've got a calendar full of events for the next few months," Smith says of the upcoming schedule.
In addition to weddings, this includes graduations and quinceaneras. The Smiths are looking to expand and collaborate with local businesses to provide the best possible experience for their guests.
"Right now, what we're looking to do is partner with local vendors who specialize in those areas, and we're going to have a recommended list of vendors that folks can work with," Smith explains. The incentive for using these vendors would be the discount the Smiths plan to offer.
Smith, a Winnsboro, SC, native, has ties to this area, so the move to Bulloch County was a natural one.
"My lineage is actually from this area of the state, Claxton and Pembroke, so it was a good place for us, a good opportunity for her, in the area of the country that we want to be in," Smith says.
"Our plan is to build roots here. I'm a small-town kid; Statesboro is actually larger than where I'm from by quite a bit, so we love small communities like this," Smith says. "We want to be good community partners to everyone here, find ways to help grow the area, and just be a good partner every step of the way, so we'll be doing a number of different events looking for ways to incorporate the local community in those as often as we can."
For more information about Twin Oaks Farm & Vineyard, please visit their website and Facebook page.
