Josh’s Frogs Keeps Growing By Leaps!

Josh’s Frogs is a business that sells exotic amphibians, reptiles, live feed, plants, and equipment for terrariums.  All of this is done completely online, there is no storefront.  Over the past year, the company has experienced fantastic growth and is now at over 100 employees.  The fact that people are staying home due to the pandemic has added to the growth as hobbyists are building their terrariums.

With this growth comes expansion.  Josh’s Frogs now owns the entire old factory that they are housed in and has purchased a new building to expand the shipping.

The converted factory houses the greenhouse, tadpole and hatching area, vet area, breeding, and livestock facilities which include hissing cockroaches and the like.  This is where the uniqueness of Josh’s Frogs happens…they raise their own Dart Frogs, grow their own plants, and then ship them out.

All of this requires specific skills and painstaking accuracy.  As a result, the positions are hard to fill. They usually require someone with background knowledge or hobby experience.

GST Michigan Works! has been working with Josh’s Frogs for a year and a half.  During that time, the company has participated in job fairs (both onsite and virtual), podcasts, we have posted jobs on PMTC, and now OJTs. Josh’s Frogs is also looking into becoming part of the Paid Work Experience program to start “growing their own” employees.  The wages have increased and are now higher than some manufacturing businesses making them an employer of choice.

Josh’s Frogs looks at GST Michigan Works! as an important partner both for labor assistance as well as other business solutions. Next year the company will participate in the Going Pro Talent Fund.