Breaking News - Great Lakes Up 37% In 1999
February 29, 2000 -- Strong local demand boosting Cleveland brewery to records sales levels
At their annual distributor meeting here recently, the Great Lakes Brewing Co., (GLBC) announced its 37% increase in shipments for the year ending 12/31/99, the craft brewery's first full year of operations in its new $6.5 million brewery. A full 90% of GLBC's growth came from its home state of Ohio. Leading the growth was its flagship Dortmunder Gold and GLBC's line-up of six seasonal brews. As co-owner Patrick Conway maintains, these were the fruits of a plan designed to keep focus on the brewery's backyard: "We have strong demand from surrounding areas, but we believed we still had plenty of demand right here that needed servicing."
Maintaining this focus was again evident in the plans presented for the new year at the annual meeting by GLBC, which is still refraining from shipping beyond what it thinks is its ability to monitor the product. In 1999, GLBC did start shipping to Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, all of which show significant future promise. In all, GLBC has 20 distributorships, also produced a realignment of key personnel to better execute GLBC's focus in the new year.
One move especially applauded by distributors was having former Brewery Production Manager Rob Gerrity move into the sales department. Rob's experience as a former teacher and brewer suit him well to be a resource for many of GLBC's accounts, including the heavy volume of draft business in northeast Ohio. Rob has graduated from several Siebel Institute programs, including their excellent Draft Program, and is enjoying teaching consumers and trade alike in proper beer handling and serving. "Education is a real value I can provide that people will remember." Gerrity is working closely with recently promoted Key Account Manager John Staunton, who says, "We make a great team. We're adding value to the distributor and retailer customers -and we prove you can have fun at the same time.”
Another part of the realignment was the bolstering of quality control with the hiring of Brian Lottig, graduated from the prestigious International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), at Herriot-Watt University in Scotland. Brian interned for 1 week at GLBC while attending a local high school several years ago and something must have taken hold, After majoring in biology and chemistry at William and Mary and completing graduate studies, GLBC was happy to bring him aboard. "I think Andy (Tveekrem, Brewmaster) likes having- me around," says Lottig. In addition to its new 75 bbl. brewery, GLBC also operates its original full-service brewpub, which is now also managing the new brewery's 200 person Tasting Room located across the street in what was once part of the now defunct Schlather Brewery, a turn- of-the-century lager brewery,
Opened in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Dan Conway, The Great Likes Brewing Co. is one of the most acclaimed craft breweries in the country, producing all of its brews without pasteurization or sterile filtration which requires refrigeration until serving. Its labels include Dortmunder Gold, Burning River Pale Ale, Elliot Ness Vienna Styled Lager, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter and several seasonal beers.
Visit their website at
http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/
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