Beer, Bikes, and Better Business
Categories: Craft Beer, Featured, General beer discussions
Written By: THFBeer_nate
I have been under the impression for some time, that success in business requires more than just a great product. The beer industry is no exception. Besides all the obvious ingredients to success (sell-ability, marketing, passion, etc.), the burden lies, primarily, on the owner/founder. Often, greed and extreme egotism results in mediocrity or even failure. With the nation bearing witness, the financial industry has recently revealed the inevitable negative consequence of a top down, ‘my wallet isn’t heavy enough’ mindset. So reading a story of innovative selflessness is not only refreshing, but worthy of repeat.
New Belgian Brewery, producers of the shelf worthy line of Belgian style beers (Fat Tire being the most renowned), demonstrates the ingenuity that celebrates not only a love for the product and the inherent creative process, but the reversal of the top down mentality in valuing the toil of employees and thereby encouraging company loyalty. This is reflected in a ‘no duh’ flavored statement by CEO Kim Jordan: “There’s something wrong if making beer can’t be fun.”
And just how does the brewery go the extra mile to make beer fun? (as if beer wasn’t fun enough already!) From CNN:
After one year of work, each employee receives an ownership stake in the company and a free custom bicycle. After five years every employee enjoys an all-expenses-paid trip to Belgium — the country whose centuries-old beer tradition serves as a model for the Fort Collins, Colo., brewery. Oh yeah, and employees get two free six-packs of beer a week.
The perks aren’t just for fun, though. Each one is an expression of the company’s ethos. The free bikes help the environment. The trips to Belgium commemorate Lebesch’s bicycle tour of that country’s breweries in 1989 — the original inspiration for the company, now the third largest craft brewery and the eighth largest overall in the U.S.
“Operating a business in a way that is consistent with your values is particularly pleasing,” says Jordan, 50.
Those values include employee ownership. Workers own 33% of New Belgium, which has 320 employees and posted $93 million in revenue last year. A large proportion of the staff participates in strategic planning and budgeting. “People are engaged and committed,” Jordan adds.
Breathe a breath of fresh air with me…exhale AIG, Merrill Lynch, and GM…inhale New Belgium Brewery.
I, for one, could not be more impressed and exceedingly overjoyed to have found my niche in the craft beer culture
Besides the fact that New Belgium can go to sleep at night with an easy conscious having given in to a high ethical standard, they have convinced one beer geek to search out their product the next time he finds himself attempting to wet his whistle in the aisle of his local bottle shop.
Tip of the hat to you, New Belgium!
Any other heart warming beer stories? Please share!
June 17th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Here’s a feel good story for you…..as I was biking today I passed the Upland Brewery/Restaurant here in Bloomington, IN. I noticed they’ve installed solar panels on their roof. While I don’t think solar is the best route for “green energy” here in Indiana (just not enough sun light really), I do love to see that Upland is attempting to decrease their carbon footprint while they brew their tasty beers!
keep up the good work Nate!
rd
June 18th, 2009 at 4:13 am
I like that about Upland, too. I’ve had their Helios pretty recently and tasted the fruit of those labors. Somewhat sadly, I am moving across the country away from Indiana right now…but I’ve got some Hoosier State brews to bring me back home.
June 18th, 2009 at 4:42 am
Thanks for sharing that story Rob!
I can applaud Upland’s efforts too. I am no scientists, but perhaps the cost of solar was cheaper. Either way, you are…it is a step in the right direction!
June 18th, 2009 at 7:01 am
I think smaller companies can do this more easily than larger ones – I think smaller companies often, (but not always) understand that their people are their #1 resource. Treat them well, go the extra mile beyond the canned Christmas party and summer picnic, and they will reward you many times over.
A custom bike? How cool is that! A trip to Belgium? It’s work-related, but still, how cool is that! Part-ownership in the company? Now they have REAL interest in seeing the company do well and succeed.
I’m not sure why other companies don’t pick up on this type of mentality.
As usual, good post.
June 18th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I agree with Scott that the size of the company has a lot to do with it. Once you’re publicly held, shareholders only care about making money, analysts only care about hitting artificial benchmarks, and CEOs only care about their bonuses. The employee is always last, just ask my employer. (I had a wink after that last sentence, but I deleted it because I didn’t want anyone to get the impression that I was kidding.)
June 18th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Scott and Howard…agree completely. I’ve worked for big (corporate) and small operations, and without a doubt prefer the smaller company. I know not all companies can afford bikes and Belgium, but like Scott said…TREAT THEM WELL!
Howard, couldn’t agree more about publicly held companies. I think that once a company goes public, as you said, money is the primary focus…even more so than a quality product, at times.
I’ve read several stories about google, a large company, going the extra mile to appreciate and reward their employees, but that is the only conglomerate I can think of.
June 18th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Until you read what people who left the google had to say….
Some big companies do ‘get it’. There’s always the list of ‘Top 100′ companies to work for that are no small operations. I just think the smaller companies have a better feel for their people and are better able to maintain the spirit and culture that propelled them into business in the first place. Zappos is a great example too.
June 18th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I agree…where I work now, I am one of four employees (including the owner) and there is a “family” feel that was only mimicked (team meetings, byob christmas parties, etc) at the last corporation I worked for.
I actually hope to be a small business owner someday. I wouldn’t want the headache and time restraints that would come with more money and employees.
July 15th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Just catching up on some THFB reading (obviously). I can’t wait for you guys to do this kind of stuff with your brewery! : )
July 15th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Me too!!