Honey bees swarm to Cox campus

Cox furthers its commitment to a legacy of innovation and creating a better future for the next generation by supporting and collaborating with Bee Downtown. Bee Downtown partners with businesses in cities to collaboratively rebuild healthy honey bee populations by installing and maintaining honey bee hives on corporate campuses. In June, Bee Downtown delivered and installed four honey bee hives to Cox’s Atlanta campus.

Each hive is decorated with a unique design representing Cox’s different divisions. Flanked with educational signage, the beehives are accessible to employees in order to learn more about honey bees and Cox’s commitment to environmental sustainability. 

Honey bees are a critical link to the agricultural chain, with an estimated one-third of the food that we eat depending on these pollinating insects. However, a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder has drastically reduced the population of honey bees in the U.S. to half of what it was in the 1940s. Over time, the Cox hives will grow and naturally split off to form new colonies; by maintaining the campus hives in a safe and sustainable environment, Cox will play a vital role in systematically rebuilding the honey bee population.

Bee Downtown is part of the Engage portfolio, an independent venture capital fund and accelerator program founded by Cox Enterprises and several other Atlanta-based companies. The mentorship-driven accelerator program provides funding, support and market access for innovative technology startups.