The craft brewery industry is well known for camaraderie, even in the midst of the competitive nature of beer sales. Dunn experienced this “we’re all in this together spirit” early on when his brewers, con- sultants and friends gathered for the first beer making day. When the ingredients didn’t arrive on time, his friends made phone calls and within a few hours had all the ingredients lined up. Dunn picked up a truck full of ingredients - all loaned from other brewers on very short notice and got the first brew done as scheduled. “I can’t think of another industry that’s similar, where there’s a lot of help for each other. It’s part of our philosophy here,” Dunn continued. “We’re not trying to steal business from other craft brewer- ies; We’re trying to expand the craft industry. We’re trying to take a piece of ’big beer’s’ share. Craft brewers are a little under 20% of the beer drinking industry. We’re making headway but the majors still control the vast component of it.” Even though the brewery now sells beer in three provinces, the focus continues to be local. “We feature as much local product as we can. We use local suppliers, trades and services. Call it karma. You get what you give. We want our customers to feel we’re contributing to the community and that this is their space too. If we contribute to things that mean a lot to them, the more likely they are to come back and be regulars,” Dunn explained. We try as much as we can to support local charities and initiatives. “In the early years of any business, there isn’t much money to hand out, but we can give some mer- chandise, offer free tours and tastings for prize winners, show up for events and help out. On Remem-
“ People expect me to be in the office after being in banking and wearing a suit for 30 years, but I’m down there in rubber boots as much as anybody, getting sprayed with beer. I absolutely love it.”
brance Day, we contribute the proceeds from the day to the local legion. We did a charity beer for the Walk a Mile Campaign with a dollar per can going to the YWCA women’s shelter,” said Dunn. This fall the brewery donated a dollar per beer to Avalanche Canada. Dunn plans to learn the lessons of the last three years and move on to the fourth. You will often find him on the brewery floor. “It’s part of what keeps me passionate about this. I am a mechanical engineer. I’m still a tinkerer and a hands-on guy. I love fixing things. People expect me to be in the office after being in banking and wearing a suit for 30 years, but I’m down there in rubber boots as much as anybody, getting sprayed with beer. I absolutely love it.”
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JUNE 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2020
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