Over a year after Hurricane Helene, Asheville Tea Company is focused on fundraising

When the remnants of Hurricane Helene made landfall in western North Carolina, Asheville Tea Company was swept away by the flooded Swannanoa River in September of 2024. The company’s founder, Jessie Dean, has been working ever since to keep her business going.

Sales grew in 2025 year-over-year, Dean says, despite all the curveballs the business has been thrown. She’s still working with a co-manufacturer in Canada while she looks for a new building in Asheville, which means paying high shipping costs. Her role as a founder has shifted, too — with federal relief money still forthcoming, Dean keeps a lot of her focus on fundraising.

“Talking to investors, working on grants. All of those kinds of things have just been a huge part of our business being able to survive,” she said.

“Marketplace” host Amy Scott checked in with Dean about new developments for Asheville Tea Company, and the future of tea farming in a changing climate.

To listen to their conversation, use the audio player above