| Coors Brewing | 311 10th Street, NH 230, Golden, CO 80401 |
| (303) 279-6565 |
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Head for the Rockies
Adolph Coors' journey to the Rocky Mountains began when he fled his native Germany in 1868 to escape the military draft. Within five years, Coors had worked his way west to Denver, where he purchased a local bottling company with a partner. Coors then built his famous brewery in the small town of Golden, which is now home to the largest - 13 million cans produced per day - and most picturesque single-site brewing facility in the world.
Coor values?
In 1977, Coors suffered a labor strike that grew into a nationwide labor boycott; it lasted for the next 10 years. Coors' brand name was further sullied in 1984, when a local newpaper published a damaging headline from CEO William Coors' speech to the Denver Minority Business Association. The Rocky Mountain News later apologized for the phrasing that enraged the African American community and widened the boycott's base. Following the paper's apology for the damaging print, Coors dropped its suit against the Rocky Mountain News. Just one week before the case was dropped, the AFL-CIO ended its 10-year boycott of Coors when the two came to an agreement on union organizing at Coors.
Damage control
The Coors' response to this adversity was aggressive and successful. In 1987, with the boycotts ending, Coors expanded into East Coast markets, positioning itself to challenge Miller and Budweiser for a share of the national market. Before 1987, East Coasters were forced to tote cases out of the Denver airport if they wanted to swill Coors in their homes. A Virginia plant was built to meet their needs. An aggressive minority empowerment campaign won the company recognition as Minority Enterprises, Inc.'s 1995 "Corporation of the Year;" it was one of Business Ethics Magazine's "Five Best Companies for Minorities" in 1996; and for two consecutive years, Coors was named one of Fortune's "Best Companies for Asians, Blacks and Hispanics." Coors initiated the first corporate mammography program in the U.S. for female employees, spouses of male employees, and retirees. In 1999 it was named as one of Latina Style magazine's "50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work for in the U.S."
Alcohol and content
Coors Brewing is now the third-largest brewer in the U.S. (behind Anheiser-Busch and Miller). The company produces over two dozen alcoholic beverages, including Coors Light, the fourth-best selling beer in the country. With a 100 percent hold of the voting 'A' stock, and 51% of non-voting 'B' stock, Coors remains family owned. Lately, the company has been experimenting with premium, specialty products. One of these, Zima, a clear malt drink was a hit when it was first introduced, but the novelty has since worn off. The company also revamped its Coors Original and opened a microbrewery at Coors Field in Denver, home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Coors' latest addition, in the tradition of such packaging innovations as the elongated "Silver Bullet" can and the wide-mouth bottle, is a bat-shaped beer bottle, complete with major-league autographs - targeted, of course, at baseball fans. The company's marketing efforts seem to be paying off - some analysts are predicting that Coors Light may overtake Miller Lite as the No. 2 light beer.
(Not necessarily) out with the old
After withdrawing in 1997 from the joint venture that owned the Jinro Coors Brewing Company, a Korean brewer that went bankrupt, Coors bid in an auction for the right to buy JCBC from creditors. Though Coors was the successful bidder, the creditors reversed their decision, cancelled the bidding, and scheduled a new auction after what has been reported as improper actions by a competing bidder. The company is also considering yet another sports packaging innovation. Coors hopes to introduce "leather-like grain and stitching" on its new "Pigskin" bottles. Sounds positively porky. On a less upbeat note, the company eliminated about 200 production positions at its Golden brewery in Golden, Colorado. Although Coors is offering a severance plan to the dismissed workers, it says that "automated processes" at the brewery have led to a decrease in the need for manpower.
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Interviews at Coors tend to be "semiformal" in attitude and are conducted with "three to five people on a one-on-one basis." The majority of questions will be "focused on software and business techniques" as well as on "people skills." Insiders agree it is important to go in with an understanding of the beer industry which goes beyond keg parties. "Hiring is very difficult due to a low turnover rate," but there are opportunities for those who have "good skills and credentials."
Applications for a Coors jobs must be received within a week of their posting. Candidates should note the "requisition number" of the positions for which they are interested and include it in their cover letter. Send application information to Coors Brewing Company; P.O. Box 4030; Golden, Colorado 80401; Mail #NH210; Fax # (303) 277-6490. Additional information can be found at www.coorsjobs.com. The Coors Brewing Company also offers paid and unpaid internships to college students. To be considered for a summer internship, resumes must be mailed to the above address no later than March 1. Many Coors branches do not keep applications or resumes on file "since just keeping up with them is a monumental task." One insider reveals, "Applications are taken only when a position is available and then for that position only."
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Evolution or revolution?
"Coors has changed from a 19th century good ol' boys company to a 21st century cutting-edge firm," assures one insider. Many feel that the change is "dramatic for everyone here." "Things are running more tightly than in the boom days," reports an employee. The culture is evolving from a "manufacturing center to a professional production center." Dress code "varies by area and by job" and ranges from "blue jeans" to "casual professional." Moreover, everyone goes by first name, "even Bill Coors." Since Coors is a 24-hour operation, hours "vary from 9 to 5, to 6 to 2, to midnight to 8." Some complain of "hectic schedules," but most feel that "you get back more than you put in." While "the work is tough, due to the demands on time," the pay scale is "competitive with other breweries." Perks are numerous and include a "401K plan, profit sharing, and three weeks of paid vacation time."
Keepin' it close
Coors "got along for years as a family-run company" - a happy state of affairs based mostly on "product innovations" as well as on "the overall Coors mystique." "The Coors family still maintains control and plays an active part in day-to-day business," reports one insider. Coors' employees tend to be satisfied and "the turnover rate is 0.1 percent." Not surprisingly, many employees express tremendous loyalty: "I am 47 years old and have only had two jobs in my life. I feel most fortunate to have had the opportunity to be a part of Coors."
Spread the good word
Coors was once the subject of bad press and boycotts in response to alleged labor discrimination, but employees say that there has been a "strong push for workforce diversity" which has been "widespread" and "effective." After earlier PR disasters, minority relations have suddenly become a "subject of great importance to senior management." There are now "several groups which represent minority constituencies at Coors." Altogether there are eight such councils: Coors Hispanic Employee's Network, Women at Coors, Coors Veterans Group, Native North American Indian Council, Coors African American Association, Lesbian and Gay Employee Network, Coors Asian Network, and Silent Coors. "Treatment of both women and minorities is very good," says one insider. "Coors is proud of its new minority-sensitive credentials and uses them to battle earlier perceptions." The company also supports many programs that promote students and employees of color.
Gorgeous scenery
Coors employees are hopeful about the future of the company, encouraged by a 4% growth year in 1998 - in the beer industry, "1% growth is pretty solid." Another good sign: Coors' "target market of 21- to 29-year-olds, primarily male, is growing again." Still, insecurities run high and some employees say they are treated as "easily replaceable." At least stress is easier to manage with the help of a "gorgeous" Colorado setting and "some of the best ski slopes in America."
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Coors Brewing Company
Human Resources
P.O. Box 40301
Mail #NH210
Golden
CO
80401
(303) 277-2450
(303)277-6490
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Anheuser Busch;Heineken;Miller Brewing
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