“Wherever the Water Flows, There Will be Life”

Eleven86’s founder and CEO, Marquis Forge, grew up in Autaugaville, Alabama, a small town with less than one thousand residents. Marquis left home to attend the University of Alabama and settled in Tuscaloosa, but after coming back to Autaugaville for a funeral, he knew he needed to help the community he loved.

Marquis’ daughter, Makiah Forge, says her father felt called to do something for the town, and that something turned out to be opening a family-run, black-owned bottled water company. In March 2016, Marquis and co-founder Kelvin Brickhouse founded Eleven86 Real Artesian Water with the intent of selling all natural, real artesian water.

Eleven86’s water is sourced from a deep, contained aquifer located hundreds of feet beneath the earth’s surface. Naturally protected by layers of rock and soil, it remains untouched by surface contaminants. Free from additives, preservatives, and chemicals, Eleven86 delivers pure artesian water to customers across the Southeast. You can find it in regional retailers like Winn-Dixie and Piggly Wiggly throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, as well as online through the company’s website.

Overflowing Success Slowed by Excel Spreadsheets

While there are plenty of premium bottled waters on the market, Eleven86 sets itself apart with its unparalleled purity, averaged balanced pH of 6.9, affordable price, and custom 16.9oz bottles, which they happen to manufacture themselves. Makiah says, “In 2023, we vertically integrated our system and began producing key raw materials products. We produce preforms and blow bottles within one campus. We control the process from start to finish and reduce carbon footprint”

The unique and beloved bottled water company has even been recognized by Alabama’s state legislature.

“In 2019, we became Alabama’s official state water. We’ve just been going up from there.”

Eleven86’s success has allowed Marquis and his family to do what he set out to do, and that’s live out his Christian beliefs by giving generously to his community. “We do food drives often,” Makiah says. “The population is about 800 people, so I tutor for fun, and about 65% of our workers are from Autaugaville.” 

Eleven86 also provides charity, student, and sports sponsorships along with community events, but there was one thing that was causing the company a terrible dry spell: Eleven86’s reliance on Excel spreadsheets.

“We used nothing but Excel spreadsheets. That was really fun,” Makiah says sarcastically.

Makiah, a new college graduate with a degree in finance and minor in marketing, was determined to bring the company into the 21st century with a modern inventory management solution (IMS) that could help Eleven86 continue its mission to serve the local community.

A Wellspring of Options Leads Eleven86 to Cin7

The search for the right IMS had Makiah considering leading companies but she says they were “too intricate,” especially for entry-level users. She continued to dig, including doing a broad Google search that she narrowed down to different review sites and forums.

“I like to look at negative comments first to see what people are talking about,” she says. “Were they having issues because of system errors or because of user errors? With Cin7, it was mostly user error, and I was cool with that!”

In addition to Cin7’s ease of use, she liked that it was a data-driven system. So, in August 2024, Eleven86 implemented Cin7 through Cin7’s Focused Package, which provides one-on-one virtual onboarding with a Cin7 expert. 

“The onboarding process was great. I liked how we could ask questions, it was very flexible, and the onboarding team was phenomenal,” Makiah says.

What other good stuff has the Eleven86 team experienced? All the positive changes they’ve seen since implementing Cin7. 

• The assembly and bill of material (BOM) features allow Eleven86 to track their wastage (e.g., they can put in inventory that was wasted, and it’s counted as used extra and not stock).
• Inventory is updated in real-time, allowing them to have accurate numbers that will help them manage waste and audits.
• The order process is simple and efficient, enabling order submission via any technological device.
• Invoices are easy to use and customizable.
• Automated unit conversions streamline Eleven86’s palettes.

Makiah can’t say enough about Cin7’s customizable reports and about how much time they’ve saved with a more efficient sales process. “We used to have a 15-step sales process, but now we've been able to condense it to eight steps. Because of this, we’ve seen our sales increase and we have more time to go and do more promotions!”

She adds that it’s very helpful that the Eleven86 team can visit customers and input orders remotely. “That helps with consumer confidence.”

A Refreshing Future

Before Cin7, Makiah describes her dependence on Excel spreadsheets as “long, exhausting, and stressful.” After Cin7, she feels “secure and truly confident.”

In fact, the team is so confident with Cin7, they’re now planning to expand their original plan of just using it for sales and making Cin7 their hub of operations, which includes taking advantage of Cin7’s many integrations, like Amazon, and potentially implementing Cin7 ForesightAI.

“I 100% love Cin7. I love it so much.”

As the Eleven86 team looks to the future, they’re looking for ways to keep their momentum going while continuing to fulfill their mission of making a positive impact and helping people in their community prosper for generations to come.

“In the South, we depend on our neighbors. We depend on each other. We want our company brand, name, image, and everything to be the community pillar. That’s truly our goal.”

And Cin7 plans to be with them every step of the way.