Fritz Rahr is ready to celebrate. The owner of Rahr & Sons in Texas will be doing just that this weekend as the brewery turns 15 years old.
Yet, it was almost 10 years ago when a big lesson began for the Fort Worth establishment.
A roof collapsed during a snowstorm helped change some of the trajectories for the facility.
“We literally had a 10,000-square foot roof collapse during a huge wet snowstorm,” he recalled. “We were out of production for seven months, but we took the time to re-brand and really focus on the business and what was working and not working.”
Of course, he added, not many business owners get seven months to take time out to do such things, but it was a key to help grow the brand to more than 18,000 barrels per year.
“I always tell people to make sure that they have business interruption insurance, it’s key for unexpected events like this,” he said. “I’m pretty sure we will remake Snowmageddon (a Stout celebrating the rebuild of the brewery) to celebrate being in business and having a roof 10 years later next year.”
Rahr admits it has been a struggle the last 15 years with lots of ups and downs, “but we are still kicking,” he said.
“The craft beer industry has changed dramatically since 2004 and continues to surprise us,” he added. “We would not have made it this long without our fantastic employees, volunteers and a ton of community support.”
He believes his proudest moment as of recent is to be working alongside both of his sons.
“Will was just promoted to a Brewer position after two years of working in production, and most recently, the cellar. He received his certificate of brewing from the Siebel Institute of Technology last year after completing an 18-month course.
“Hayden — my youngest — is working in Fort Worth Sales and is becoming an instrumental person within our local sales team. I’m truly blessed to work with them daily and it’s fun to see how much they have absorbed over the last 15 years of being a part of the business. I still remember them running around with light up shoes and tearing around the brewery.”
The brewery plans to launch a new brand for 2020 and will unveil the details at its anniversary party on November 16.
As a brewery, Rahr & Son’s has won more than 100 nationally and internationally recognized awards, including six Great American Beer Festival Awards; multiple US Beer Championship Awards; and a couple of European Beer Star Awards.
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