Bell’s Designated a Veteran-Friendly Employer

Bell’s Brewery is proud to announce its designation as a Veteran-Friendly Employer by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

The announcement was made on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, during the celebratory release of Goin’ Dark at Bell’s pub, the Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo.

The Veteran-Friendly Employer designation recognizes Bell’s Brewery as an employer that commits to military veteran recruitment, training and retention practices to better support veterans.

“We are committed to supporting veteran employees and celebrating veterans, active duty, spouses and family members of veterans. We are proud to be considered a Veteran Friendly Employer and are committed to continuing to improve our efforts to support, recruit and retain veteran employees,” said Larry Bell, Bell’s president and founder.

This partnership with Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency allows Bell’s to better follow-through with its commitments to vets. It also provides a framework for meeting the needs of veteran employees. Lastly, open positions at Bell’s will be easier to find and more accessible to veterans moving forward with the MVAA website.

Bell’s currently hires veterans throughout the company, from the brewery, administrative office, sales team and at the Eccentric Café.

As a Veteran-Friendly Employer, Bell’s will provide resources to veteran employees, providing veteran specific welcome activities and recognizing veterans, active duty, and spouses of veterans, among others.

Goin’ Dark (6.3% ABV) was conceived, brewed and packaged by a committee of more than 20 Bell’s employees who either served in the military, are currently enlisted or are family members of veterans.

The Coffee Milk Stout was brewed with bourbon barrel-aged coffee beans and is the third release in Bell’s Celebration Series, beers that highlight different underrepresented groups within the company that make Bell’s a better company.

“Bell’s is truly greater than the sum of its parts,” said Carrie Kramer Yunker, Vice President of Human Resources at Bell’s. “Our Celebration Series helps illuminate groups that make us great through something that brings us together every single day.”

“It helps us build on what we’ve already been doing. Diversity is part of our DNA,” she added.

Earlier this year, Bell’s employees brewed Unite Hibiscus Saison as part of International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day and Alliance Lemon Lager to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. More Celebration brews are planned for 2020.

Goin’ Dark is available exclusively on tap at the Eccentric Cafe and in 6-packs at the Bell’s General Store adjacent to the Cafe.