FLEMING ISLAND — Keith and Lisa Wheeler started their first small business in 2006. You might remember seeing them in their bright pink cupcake truck, Le Petite Cheri Cupcakery, or setting up bounce houses with their business, Bouncers, Slides and More.

These side hustles were intended to give them some extra income and teach their children a strong work ethic. They never imagined where it would take them 20 years later.

“We really didn’t have a lot of intention on growing it other than being a side hustle,” Keith said. “But just like with any good business, if you do good business with good people at a fair price, then you’ll find success, which we did.”

Keith worked in corporate America until 2014, when he had to make a choice: either move his family to Minnesota and continue that line of work or stay local and fully commit to the family business. He chose to stay in the community he loves. By the end of 2020, he had taken over the Jacksonville Party Company, also known as JPC Events, bringing his cupcakes and bounce houses under the umbrella of party planning.

Now, JPC Events covers everything from backyard birthday parties to corporate galas, working with each individual customer to achieve their unique creative vision.

“Every event’s different,” Keith said. “Even if somebody calls and says, ‘Hey, I want a casino night.’ Every individual’s vision of what a casino night is is going to be different because every individual is different. So, we try to go in with an open mind and a collaborative attitude and say, ‘Okay, how can we tailor this theme to what you’re wanting?’”

They have a wide variety of community partnerships, regularly working with schools to create fun and safe events for local students. They also regularly contribute to the Orange Park Fall Festival, Memorial Day in Green Cove Springs and Fourth of July celebrations like America250 at Moosehaven. They also plan the annual top performers’ gala for local VyStar teams, an event with 400 attendees.

For one upcoming client, they will be hosting a children’s event complete with water slides, laser tag, foam cannons and even a petting zoo and then, the very next day, a party for 200 adults. And with every place and every client, they continue to bring the same professionalism, community spirit and care. 

Running a small business is no small feat, especially as JPC Events grows, taking the Wheeler family all over Northeast Florida and beyond. As Keith explained, starting and maintaining a business takes sacrifice. Sometimes it means missing church on Sunday. Sometimes it means working a holiday rather than celebrating it. Still, they wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything.

“One of the things that’s kind of kept me going, and I think Lisa feels the same way, is the blessing of working with your family,” he said. “It’s not always easy, but it’s a blessing to be able to work with your kids every day, see your grandkids almost every day. And growing a business is not completely unlike raising a child. It takes a lot of care, a lot of attention. You can’t just walk away from it and hope it works out. You have to be active every day and being able to do that with your family is a very special blessing.”

JPC Events is grounded in the values of integrity, innovation, passion, accountability, respect, transparency and, above all, small-town hospitality. 

“They’re not just a number on a spreadsheet. They’re a friend, they’re family, they’re a partner, and there’s not enough of that going around today,” Keith said. “I really feel like, not just in the small business world, but in the world altogether, there’s just not enough of that human touch. And we miss that. We need that.”

Visit their website, jacksonvillepartycompany.com, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram, @jacksonville_party_company, to get the party started.

“Nobody else does what we do,” Keith said. “The biggest challenge that we face right now is to disseminate that information to everybody, ‘Hey, we don’t just do waterslides, and we don’t just do casinos. We don’t just do grand openings. We do it all.’”