When Ashley Clark was 22-years old, she was living at home in North Carolina, with her parents and her college degree, working a job she’d had since she was 15-years old. Counting the number of times he’d been to a Kilwins on one hand, her dad made a suggestion out of the blue: “Why don’t you open a Kilwins downtown Greenville?”
That was October 2012. Kilwins Greenville opened September 2013 on North Main Street. Fast forward to February 2019, when Ashley and her husband, Landon, expanded to two locations with the purchase of an existing Kilwins franchise in Highlands, North Carolina. Kilwins Highlands was the 19th store in the company to open in May 1995.
Since 2013, Landon and Ashley have worked together to build a successful business with the mission of creating enjoyment and making people happy. They thought they were getting into the ice cream business, but what they soon realized is that they were in the people business.
One of their favorite things about owning their own business is building relationships with their team members. They teach their team to show up on time, work hard, deliver on promises, and be better communicators. They hold each other accountable and celebrate healthy conflict-something that’s rare in the workplace. It didn’t take long for Landon and Ashley to learn that a workforce made up of happy, satisfied team members would do anything to help them succeed.
In 2018, Ashley was selected as the South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Prior to relocating to Highlands, she was very active in the Greenville community, serving on the Fall for Greenville Board of Trustees and on the South Carolina Ducks Unlimited Board of Directors. She also volunteered as a Coach for the Minority Business Accelerator and as a Coach for Girls on the Run.
Kilwins Highlands opened in May 1995 and was the 19th Kilwins franchise location to open. Kilwins is located on Main Street in Town Square and is open 7 days a week. When in Highlands, visit Landon, Ashley, and their team and indulge in the magic of Kilwins’ high quality products and exceptional hospitality every day of the week.
