How Maui Brewing Looks to Grow with its First Mainland Hire

Conveying the culture to beer buyers is always the challenge for craft brewing marketing managers.

When your home base is 2,500 miles away and an ocean apart, being “on an island” is very literal for Maui Brewing Company. Now, the Hawaiian brewery has its first representative working in the continental U.S.

Cheyenne McCarthy joined MBC as its Southwest marketing manager in August and will help in teaching the culture that Maui Brewing wants to convey in the top market on the mainland for the company.

“We didn’t jump into the decision lightly to move a rep into So Cal but rather weighed the necessary factors to determine where a rep was needed most and would be most beneficial,” said Maui’s national sales manager Pete Scheider. “We look forward to growing the sales team … and will be looking to add to the mainland sales force again in the very near future.”

With a shared culture of surf, sand, beaches and sun, the Southern California area was the perfect place to start to gain a foothold on mainland sales. Maui’s brand has been available for a decade there and is the top market for the brewery outside of the islands.

“We will continue to preach a message of Real Hawaiian made beer made with quality ingredients made right here on Maui,” Scheider said. “We are committed to brewing and growing locally but feel we have a great fit in So Cal and would like to see our sales continue to grow in hopes of hiring more mainland reps.”

McCarthy was a shift manager for Fallbrook Brewing in Fallbrook, California for two year before joining Maui.

“I am very excited to be working with such a great independent craft brewery, and look forward to spreading the message of Maui Brewing Company with aloha throughout the region,” she said in a release.

McCarthy will look to build relationships with MBC’s southwest wholesalers to promote and sell the brand.

“We are lucky to find such a great candidate in Cheyenne who is well-versed in her beer knowledge and already connected to the So Cal beer scene,” Scheider said.

He also added that it was a challenge during hiring since the brewery is so far away from the actual employee. He did note that the need for a sale rep in the area has never been greater.

“We need to ensure that we’re hiring someone who can convey our culture every bit as much as our beer quality,” he said. “Having a mainland hire is so much more important than just growing sales. Checking on quality assurance in the field, representing the culture of Maui and the Maui Brewing Company are just as important as expanding distribution and sales.”