This week, our co-founder and CEO Matt Katase drops by to deliver a situation report on the state of Brew Gentlemen as we work through quarter three of 2019.
There are an infinite number of ways to run a brewery. A constant stream of new players entering the industry add to that diverse list of methods, and it’s both fascinating and insightful to observe how businesses that are older, younger, and similar in age to our own evolve with the times.
As you may have heard, we’re currently in the midst of a major construction project, and things are now moving at breakneck speed. Decisions have to be made on site almost immediately. During a project of this scale, many moving parts must be brought together in harmony.
To this point, our values of simplicity, continuous improvement, elegance, and an eagerness to learn have become all the more applicable during this quarter. These ideas steer us away from repeating our mistakes, rushing, cutting corners, and being shortsighted as we experience growth. They make us feel better when the power washer is still running at 1am or when we push the concrete pour back a few days to give us some extra breathing room.
Through all the surrounding chaos, leaning on our values helps us to stay on track, course-correct with ease, and navigate to our long term destination: building a brewery that can thrive for years to come.
Two organizations that have understood and supported this long-term goal are the major financiers of the project. We’re incredibly proud to have Huntington Bank and Allegheny County Economic Development as crucial partners in our expansion.
Huntington Bank is the largest originator of SBA loans in the nation. They believe small businesses are the lifeblood of communities and have led the charge in access to capital for over a decade. The team in Western PA have been incredible mentors in navigating the world of banks and government lending.
The mission of Allegheny County Economic Development is to effectively coordinate community and economic development initiatives and activities to maintain and enhance the economic, social, and environmental quality of life for all citizens of Allegheny County. They have been a critical link in the revitalization of our community in Braddock – they are invested in the long haul and know that rebuilding is not an overnight process. We’ve had the pleasure to work with former Director Bob Hurley, current Director Lance Chimka, and project manager Dan Tobin, who have all spent countless hours on the project.
This process involves many partners, including but not limited to, neighboring Braddock businesses, contractors, architects, and borough officials. A special shout out goes to LGA Partners, Gaydos Construction, Mele Mechanical, Molyneaux Electric, JB O’Connor, Gray Welding, PER, Deb Brown and her team at the Braddock borough office, the Braddock Water Authority, and Braddock Mayor Chardae Jones. Projects like this take a village, and we’re excited that so many of the necessary participants are right here in our own backyard.
Construction progress in the new production facility means we’re close to having more beer, for more of you, in a more convenient way.
See you at Garden Party,
Matt
ICYMI: How big is our brewhouse? + Q1 Update