This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the brewing community from across the U.S.
Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Brewmasters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA Managers and others each weekend to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.
Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Brewmasters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA Managers and others each weekend to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.
Chuck Aaron, Owner, Jersey Girl Brewing — Hackettstown, New Jersey
BREWER: How has your business strategy evolved to help grow and stay competitive?
AARON: We put our annual plan together each year between September and October. That gives us a view of beers and volume for the upcoming year. We look at gaps in equipment, distribution, and personnel that may keep us from achieving the goal. This annual goal ties into our five-year plan. As we get into the year, the core management team meets weekly to talk about Productions, Distribution Sales, and Sample Room Activity. We discuss prior results and a rolling two month view looking forward. We make sure the activities align to the plan as well as the targeted results.
AARON: We put our annual plan together each year between September and October. That gives us a view of beers and volume for the upcoming year. We look at gaps in equipment, distribution, and personnel that may keep us from achieving the goal. This annual goal ties into our five-year plan. As we get into the year, the core management team meets weekly to talk about Productions, Distribution Sales, and Sample Room Activity. We discuss prior results and a rolling two month view looking forward. We make sure the activities align to the plan as well as the targeted results.
BREWER: Who is your mentor in the industry and why? What have you learned from them?
AARON: I sit as Vice President on the board of the New Jersey Brewers Association. I enjoy talking to the brewery owners in New Jersey about challenges and opportunities. It’s really helped me keep a focus on changing to keep up with the growth of craft beer in New Jersey. It’s always fun to talk about building new recipes and testing a variety of hop combinations.
AARON: I sit as Vice President on the board of the New Jersey Brewers Association. I enjoy talking to the brewery owners in New Jersey about challenges and opportunities. It’s really helped me keep a focus on changing to keep up with the growth of craft beer in New Jersey. It’s always fun to talk about building new recipes and testing a variety of hop combinations.
BREWER: What idea did you or your team come up with lately that has been a big benefit to how your brewery functions?
AARON: We’re bringing in software to use across all areas of production. This will make QC management easier as well as maintain batch-to-batch consistency. We are excited to bring the software in and have been using it now for about a month.
AARON: We’re bringing in software to use across all areas of production. This will make QC management easier as well as maintain batch-to-batch consistency. We are excited to bring the software in and have been using it now for about a month.
BREWER: If you had one business strategy that you could implement to better the brewing industry, what would it be?
AARON: This may be specific to New Jersey, but I find a lot of the legislation about breweries is old and outdated compared to other states. It’s quite limiting and while we see growth in the state, it could and should be faster. It’s an area focus. It’s necessary to spend some time focused on getting legislation updated to be in alignment with other states and the current state of craft beer in New Jersey.
AARON: This may be specific to New Jersey, but I find a lot of the legislation about breweries is old and outdated compared to other states. It’s quite limiting and while we see growth in the state, it could and should be faster. It’s an area focus. It’s necessary to spend some time focused on getting legislation updated to be in alignment with other states and the current state of craft beer in New Jersey.
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