| Boston Beer | 75 Arlington St., Boston, MA 02116 |
| www.samadams.com | (617) 368-5000 Fax: (617) 368-5500 |
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Good old Sam
James Koch's discovery of his great-great-grandfather's beer recipe led him to form Boston Beer in 1985. The Massachusetts-based company went on to release about 15 different flavors of unique brews, including its flagship Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Triple Bock, and seasonal offerings such as Octoberfest and Old Fezziwig. The instant popularity of Boston Beer's products sparked an entire U.S. microbrewery industry. Samuel Adams, both man and beer icon, has certainly played a vital role in BBC's marketing efforts. In fact, the company puts out a Sam Adams Email Newsletter and calls its web site www.samadams.com
Microbrewery?
Boston Beer inspired hundreds of fans across the country to buy stock in the company during its 1995 initial public offering by including mail-in coupons on its six packs. Since its founding, Boston Beer has dominated national taste tests and competitions, taking home record-setting awards in several contests. Though some companies, particularly disgruntled major breweries, have disputed Boston Beer's claim to microbrewery status (Boston Beer employs contract breweries nationwide), Koch has been able to distinguish BBC from its more established rivals.
Tours and tales
The company holds tours at its Jamaica Plains, Boston brewery on Thursdays and Fridays at 2 pm. Additional tours also run on Saturdays at 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm. The tours are inexpensive and all proceeds benefit local charities and Youth Enrichment Services. BBC also hosts the Annual Sam Adams Short Story Contest. Winners travel to exotic locales (last year, it was Belize) for a workshop by Zoetrope: All-Story, a short story magazine published by filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola. For more information, visit Boston Beer's Web site.
Rumors of takeover subside
In early-1999, Boston Beer stock escalated as takeover rumors abounded. While the rumors soon blew over with Boston Beer's March announcement that it would not be sold to Anheuser-Busch, the interim generated quite a bit of buzz. When approached by the press, CEO Jim Koch didn't completely deny the prospect: "The answer [to the question of a potential buy-out] is 'yes' - if I had complete confidence the quality, integrity, and passion wouldn't suffer; and we'd get better in other ways."
Staying optimistic
Stunted growth has marked the microbrewery industry recently. Since 1998, 200 U.S. microbreweries and brew pubs have failed. In April 1999, Koch announced that the craft-beer business indeed was flat after years of growth. However, he was optimistic about Boston Beer's future, despite the public-relations problems resulting from industry struggles; Boston Beer plans to build the largest brew pub in New England in fall 2000.
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The Boston Beer Company lists job openings on its web site, www.samadams.com/company/jobs/. Employment opportunities are listed for both sales and office jobs. Prospective employees have three choices when it comes to applying: they can fill out on-line resumes at BBC's site, fax resumes to The Boston Beer Company HR Team at (617)368-5564, or mail resumes to The Boston Beer Company; Human Resources, Job Title: ___________; 75 Arlington Street; Boston, MA 02116. For each available position, the company lists appropriate title, territory, brands, salary, description, and requirements. For more information on employment, you can also call BBC at (617) 368-5000.
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Young and dynamic
Boston Beer maintains its "young" and "dynamic" image by favoring an "open," "loose" organizational structure. Employees "rarely use titles," and they say that the company emphasizes "open communication." One insider even goes as far as to call BBC "the best company I've ever worked for." Company culture is "unusually pleasant," sources say. "We are anything but a stuffy, stodgy beer company like Miller and Anheuser Busch. We do not have big hierarchies and we don't rely on titles to prove our worth to the company. Everyone is a valuable piece to the puzzle."
Booze worth bragging about
"Boston Beer is an aggressive company with unique qualities," asserts a contact. One of these qualities, it seems, is gender diversity. "We currently have about 50 percent women in the sales force, so if you are concerned about equality, don't be," an insider assures. Across the board, company contacts are elated by easy access to "their favorite kinds of our beers." But booze isn't the only bragging right of BBC employees. "To summarize why I like working for BBC," opines one, "it would be as follows: challenge, professional and personal growth (training), autonomy, and peers with the same interests and goals. Boston Beer is a great company - terrific beer, great culture, and outstanding people."
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Job Title:
Human Resources
75 Arlington Street1
Boston
MA
02116
(617) 368-5000
(617) 368-5564
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Beverages include:; Boston Lager; Boston Ale; Hardcore Black Cider; Hardcore Crisp Cider; Honey Porter; Scotch Ale; Cream Stout; Golden Pilsner; Triple Bock; Boston IPA; Boston Lightship; Oregon Original; White Ale; Cherry Wheat; OctoberFest; Cranberry Lambic; Winter Lager; Double Bock; Spring Ale; Summer Ale; Winter Classics
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Anchor Brewing;Corona;Guiness;Heineken
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