ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BRAIN) — Sports nutrition e-commerce brand Fuel Goods Inc. announced earlier this month a $1.7 million investment in a fully integrated facility here that it said will create 47 new jobs in the next five years.
With an average wage of $42.91 an hour, the jobs will be in logistics, marketing, and technology, with the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville Buncombe County saying it will grow the city's "economic mobility" and enhance the region's reputation for outdoor recreation and wellness.
"I have always believed that there could be more industry here than there is," said Laura Jorgensen, who along with Courteney Lowe, launched Fuel Goods in 2024, merging their RunnerBox and RiderBox subscription businesses. "I think one of the things that probably attracts us all to Asheville and the surrounding area is the low-key vibe. I think sometimes that comes at odds with building a company like this because a lot of people want to work for six hours a day and then go ride or whatever. So I think sometimes finding the right people can be more challenging."
Fuel Goods recently moved into the new facility it leased that's about four times larger than its predecessor and now includes in-house fulfillment. Tropical Storm Helene in September impacted the previous off-site fulfillment location along the French Broad River. Fortunately for Jorgensen and Lowe, none of their inventory was ruined despite extensive damage to the facility. The natural disaster forced them to accelerate some of their long-term plans.
"It was a fork in the road in that we have a vision and the goal to scale," Jorgensen said. "We thought we'd be able to stay in that facility for a lot longer, but with the damage they had, it was clear we had to move on. And that was the impetus for us to even consider bringing the warehouse in-house, move the whole facility, and staff it ourselves. We knew we would do that eventually, but it happened a lot sooner than we had imagined."
During the relief efforts, Fuel Goods collaborated with Asheville-based sustainable sportswear company Pressio USA to create shirts to raise more than $20,000 for WNC outdoor companies affected by the storm.
Fuel Goods has resumed raising a seed round of funding, which was paused because of the storm. "Hopefully, there'll be more to come as we move further along our expansion," Jorgensen said.
She took over The RunnerBox as a side gig in 2013 from two friends who were becoming overwhelmed keeping up with demand. "Because I have some business chops since I came from that world, I knew what I needed to do," said Jorgensen, who previously worked at Royal Caribbean Cruises in Miami as a business analyst.
A year later, fellow cycling pro Lowe joined, and they launched The RiderBox for cyclists in 2015. Fuel Goods then was created nine years later to encompass both subscription platforms. Runner subscribers outnumber cyclist subscribers about 60-40, but Jorgensen said that side has potential to grow.
With the sports nutrition market evolving and expanding, the sheer number of products can be overwhelming for the average endurance runner and cyclist seeking fueling options, Jorgensen said. While The Feed caters more to the professional and elite athlete, Fuel Goods markets its subscription boxes to what she calls the everyday athlete.
"I think The Feed has really become a lot bigger in the past couple of years," she said. "I think they do a really good job at what they do. And I think it's really hyper-focused toward the more elite athlete. So we're a little more low key, not as intimidating, especially coming from women in a male-dominated industry. I think for a lot of women, they're still scared to go into bike shops. They don't want to be mansplained to. No offense or anything, but we just wanted to create a space where anybody could go that was inclusive."
With about 500 SKUs — including gels, chews, healthy snacks, bars, and recovery nutrition — Jorgensen said they offer auto-ship and one-time purchase options and constantly evaluate adding additional products — up to a point.
"I don't see any reason to carry 40 different gels that people have to decide which one," she said. "I think it's just too many, and it's too overwhelming, where we prefer to have a more vetted collection of stuff that we really, really want to get behind to help people navigate that."
Fuel Goods combines larger brands like Skratch, Honey Stinger, GU, and Alete Active Nutrition — which owns Bonk Breaker and SaltStick — with smaller brands that might manufacture only one product.
"I think part of our strategy is we want the big-brand-name people in there, but we also want products that you may never find. So that gives those brands a really excellent opportunity."
