The Business of Beer with Founders Brewing Co. Co-Founder & President, Dave Engbers
In this episode of the Business of Beer with Andy “The Beerman” Coppock, we are joined by Founders Brewing Co. Co-Founder & President, Dave Engbers. He joins us to talk about the mid ’90s boom of breweries, how Founders started, their incredible success of their All Day IPA, and much more!
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Show Notes:
– You started Founders in 1997 correct?
– How did you get started brewing?
– What was your background before brewing?
– A lot of amazing breweries opened in a 2-3 year period in the mid ’90s (Stone, Coronado, Ballast Point, Dogfish Head, Victory). What happened in the 90’s to spur this growth and innovation?
– Who were your influences? Did you have any mentors in the business?
– You make some of the most sought after beers for the “Whale” crowd, KBS and Backwoods bastard. How did those beers develop?
– Let’s talk about the incredible success of All Day IPA…how much of your production is All Day now?
– PC Pils is the latest seasonal release. A Founders take on a classic pils. We’re seeing more “Craft” brewers doing pilsners and lagers these days. What do you think is behind that?
– You even have PC Pils and All Day available in 15 packs, that’s not a common package for craft…what led to that?
– Founders is one of the 20 largest Craft Breweries in the US. What’s the growth plan? 5-10 years down the road?
– Some breweries are looking to sell to larger companies, some are merging, some are taking on Private Equity Capital. How have you chosen to raise money for growth, and does it matter?
– A lot was made of selling a 30% stake in Founders to the Spanish makers of San Miguel beer. (Mahou) Including the BA (Brewers Assoc) stripping you of your Craft status. Has it made a difference?
– What were your thoughts behind the sale and how did it come about?
– What kind of backlash did you get?
– Is private equity the elephant in the room?
– Speaking of social media, where can people find you?
See Founders brewing on the web, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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