North Coast Honored Locally as Small Business of the Year

Assemblymember Jim Wood presented an award recently to North Coast Brewing Company on California Small Business Day which recognizes the contributions small business makes to California.

“I have the challenge of selecting a small business every year from many qualified North Coast businesses throughout the 2nd Assembly District,” said Wood, “and the North Coast Brewing Company has some impressive qualifications.”

The North Coast Brewing Company is the 47th largest craft brewery in the country and is regularly recognized for the quality of its beers, having won over 100 awards in U.S. and international competitions.

Three partners including company President, Mark Ruedrich, founded North Coast Brewing Co. in 1988 in the coastal Mendocino town of Fort Bragg. Co-owner Doug Moody and four other key staff have been with NCBC for more than 20 years.

“We are proud to receive Assemblymember Wood’s recognition for our environmental initiatives and contributions to our region’s economy,” Ruedrich said. “At North Coast Brewing Company, we have always felt that a small business in a small town can play a big role in making a positive impact on our community and beyond.”

Added Wood: “One of the many features that stand out for me is their environmental stewardship. We all know how beautiful the North Coast is and when I hear that a business takes extra steps to protect the environment, I’m all in!”

In addition to environmental stewardship, North Coast Brewing Co. is one of 1,500 businesses certified as a B Corp, which recognizes the company’s commitment to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability. This means that the company has met the rigorous standards that measure a company’s impact on its employees, suppliers, community and the environment.

North Coast Brewing also has a strong commitment to social responsibility. They support more than 100 local community organizations and give a portion of sales to support music education and ocean mammal research and rescue. Thirteen of its brews are independently certified and display the Non-GMO Project verification butterfly logo.

Wood added, “How can you argue with their mission, ‘Make the world a better place, one pint at a time.’”

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