Boston Beer Company, maker of the Samuel Adams beer lineup and the nation’s largest craft brewery has announced the expansion of its Brewing the American Dream program. First introduced in 2008 and expanded into a nationwide program in 2012, Brewing the American Dream is a partnership with the non- profit organization Accion and is an effort to help budding entrepreneurs in the food and drink industries obtain financing and receiving the mentoring and coaching they need to survive and thrive.
Boston Beer president/founder Jim Loch knows the realities of small business ownership all too well since he, too, was denied funding when he launched the Samuel Adams product line almost three decades ago: “When I was starting The Boston Beer Company, I applied for numerous bank loans so I could build a brewery, but each bank turned me down. The bankers wanted me to demonstrate that people would buy the beer before they would give me the money to build a brewery. They were right, so I rented space in a great old brewery and launched my company”, said Koch.
“I haven’t forgotten how hard it is for the ‘little guys’ to get started”, Koch continued. “Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream stems from this kind of innovative business spirit, and it is designed to give assistance and good advice to small business owners who want to pursue a similar passion and their American dream. I want to give them the means to succeed”.
Brewing the American Dream has already achieved much success. It has provided more than $2 million in loans to 230 small businesses nationwide, creating new jobs and helping businesses find the assistance they need where traditional options have failed or come up short. This new initiative expands the program by offering $1 million in loans to 100 small businesses as well as expanding speed coaching events and mentoring.
In addition to the greater access to loans and coaching, Samuel Adams is also launching “Raise a Pint, Brew a Dream.” Between April 15 and May 31, every time drinkers purchase a Samuel Adams Boston Lager at a participating retailer, Boston Beer Company will donate 5 cents to the cause. The goal is to raise $250k through this initiative and there are hundreds/thousands of participating retailers across the USA. A quick visit to the site http://btad.samueladams.com/ is all that is necessary to learn more about the program and its participants.
Another part of the Brewing the American Dream program is the Pitch Room contest. The Pitch Room helps small business owners find better ways to pitch their products to consumers and along with the educational aspects, a winner will be selected by region. At the end of the year, the regional winners will go to Boston for the finals. The final winner will have his/her product featured in a national retailers’ store.
Starting any type of small business can be difficult but Boston Beer wants to make the process a little easier for food and beverage businesses through its Brewing the American Dream program. Visit a participating establishment near you, order a glass of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and help support small businesses that could really use a helping hand. The next Boston Beer company could be just around the corner.
For more information about the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, visit http://btad.samueladams.com/.
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