As the brewery\u2019s popularity grew, so did its footprint. Within a handful of years, Clark strained the brewpub\u2019s 900-barrel capacity. In 2013, Jackie O\u2019s opened an 8,000-barrel production brewery five miles from the brewpub and inked a distribution agreement with Cavalier, a Cincinnati-based craft beer distributor, to sell throughout Ohio.<\/p>\n
Less than two years later, Jackie O\u2019s found themselves again at capacity. In 2015, they expanded once more, this time a massive blowout of their production facility, adding 120-barrel fermenters, a quality control lab and a dedicated space for souring. In 2016, they\u2019ll likely hit the 14,000-barrel mark, with room to grow to 30,000 barrels annually.<\/p>\n
Sustainably Crafted with a Purpose<\/h2>\n
Jackie O\u2019s has seen remarkable growth, but it is a controlled growth guided by the principles established at the brewpub. Their motto encapsulates their business model: \u201cSustainably Crafted With Purpose.\u201d As they expand, Art Oestrike and Brad Clark are making conscientious decisions about how to sustain that growth, both for the brewery and their community.<\/p>\n
It is not surprising that Jackie O\u2019s looks to companies like New Belgium and Patagonia as role models. Both companies have philanthropic bona fides,<\/em> and both are certified B Corporations, a certification that sets \u201crigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.\u201d The standards required for B Corp certification guide Jackie O\u2019s growth, and not surprisingly, the company is working towards this certification.<\/p>\n (READ:\u00a0California Brewery Couple Faces the Fires Together<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\n There are obvious ways that Jackie O\u2019s drives sustainability: they have their own CSA; they donate spent grains to local farmers; they invested in solar panels; they can their core offerings to offset their carbon footprint. But they also see sustainability through human resources lenses. In addition to the above, sustainability to Oestrike \u201cmeans people and the ability to live and have a life in this impoverished area, and be happy and enjoy what they do.\u201d Oestrike explains, \u201cIf we don’t take care of them, they’re not going to take care of us. And we’re not going to have this Sustainably Crafted With Purpose thing in a human sense, in a resource sense.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, with 127 employees (64 FTEs), Jackie O\u2019s will be one of the top ten employers in Athens County. Nearly all of the production brewery employees are full time, including their photographer, plumber and carpenter. This staff comes from the local area. Many are former Ohio University students who, upon graduation, looked for ways to stay in Athens. And many stay for the duration\u2014four of five original employees are still with the brewery.<\/p>\n To retain talent, Oestrike and Clark empower individuals to advance within the company. When an employee comes on board at Jackie O\u2019s, they are often hired for a specific growth track. \u201cThere’s another job above the one that we’re putting them in the position for, that is always in mind,\u201d Clark explains. \u201cThere has to be [movement within the company] \u2026 we need to have those options so that people stay here.<\/p>\n (READ: What is the Independent Craft Brewer Seal?<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\n Employees also stay because Jackie O\u2019s pays a living wage and health benefits, with additional benefits added as the brewery can support them. \u201cWhat it all comes down to is, we have a lifestyle company,\u201d Clark explains. \u201cIt’s not necessarily about profit. It’s about us having good jobs that are supporting us that we enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n Being an outstanding employer is just one way that Jackie O\u2019s gives back to Athens. They also create opportunities with Ohio University, from working with business students on the B Corp certification process to conducting brew chemistry courses during the summers. When a fire broke out in 2014 that destroyed several buildings in the Athens business district, including part of the Jackie O\u2019s kitchen, Oestrike was on the front lines helping the city recover. And, most importantly, through their business model, the brewery works to drive tourism and tax dollars to the impoverished county.<\/p>\n Although Jackie O\u2019s is widely available throughout Ohio, the majority of their limited release beers are sold at the production brewery. Taproom sales for breweries are more marginal, so direct sales help fund special projects and provide face-to-face contact with consumers. But the main reason Jackie O\u2019s consciously funnels the majority of their rare releases through their Athens facilities is because doing so drives people to Athens to visit and participate in the local economy.<\/p>\n Aaron Spoores, state sales manager for Cavalier Distributing in Ohio, sees Jackie O\u2019s as a major force for tourism in Athens. \u201cJackie O\u2019s brings people to that city when there\u2019s nothing else going on.\u201d Art Oestrike agrees, explaining that, \u201cWe liked for years that the only place to get our beers was Athens, Ohio.\u201d He adds, \u201cThat drives a lot of people through Athens.\u201d<\/p>\n “The consumer is spending their money in Ohio and we’re bringing people in from outside of Ohio. It’s building and strengthening everything around us and within us.\u201d ~ Brad Clark, Jackie O’s Brewer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The release of Champion Ground is a perfect example of this phenomenon. The 2016 limited release is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout made with coffee beans from Stauf’s, a Columbus, Ohio, roaster. Jackie O\u2019s produced 700 cases, of which 460 were sold through the production brewery taproom and the brewpub. This approach drives people to spend money in Athens. \u201cEven if they just come here,\u201d Oestrike notes, \u201cmaybe they sleep here, maybe they just spend some money up at the brewpub, but they’ve tipped a couple of people along the way, they bought some gas, eaten dinner, bought a pair of sandals at the Import House, stayed the night at the OU Inn. Whatever it may be, that is money and sales tax generated for the area.\u201d<\/p>\n Although taproom sales dominate the rare releases, Cavalier sells the majority of the core beers in about 3,500 accounts throughout Ohio. Cavalier was a natural fit for Jackie O\u2019s, in that Cavalier\u2019s core values align with a lot of Jackie O\u2019s, especially \u201cbeing a vibrant community partner\u201d and \u201cpride in doing the right thing in all things.\u201d With Cavalier\u2019s help, Jackie O\u2019s is now available all over the Buckeye state, from local carry outs to chains like Kroger and Costco. There are approximately 1,600 Jackie O\u2019s tap handles, including in venues like Ohio State University\u2019s Horseshoe and the Cleveland Indians\u2019 Progressive Field. Oestrike takes pride in never being more than a car ride away from servicing any of these accounts.<\/p>\n (LEARN: CraftBeer.com Beer 101 Online Course<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\n It might be tempting for Jackie O\u2019s to branch out beyond Ohio. Yet, Jackie O\u2019s wants to support Ohio in the same ways that another role model, New Glarus, supports Wisconsin: to drive people and dollars to the local community in a sustainable way. By very conservative estimates, Jackie O\u2019s generates $550-$600,000 annually in Ohio sales tax. This limited distribution model is the Jackie O\u2019s motto writ large.<\/p>\n \u201cStaying within the state is sustainable,\u201d explains Clark. \u201cThere’s a reduced carbon footprint but there’s also keeping money within the state, whether it’s going to the distributor or the retailer, the consumer is spending their money in Ohio and we’re bringing people in from outside of Ohio. It’s building and strengthening everything around us and within us.\u201d<\/p>\n Spoores agrees. \u201cWe always tell brewers to win at home,\u201d he explains. With Jackie O\u2019s, Spoores sees a strong foundation based on local roots that nourishes both the brewery and its community. \u201cI look a Jackie O\u2019s as an oak tree\u2014those roots are deep in the earth, and they stick towards the river where there\u2019s water. They really want to sink deep and grow tall.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The founder of Jackie O\u2019s isn\u2019t trying to dominate the Midwest. Contributor Kevin J. Gray shows you how the brewery is increasing the quality of life in southwest Ohio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5918,"featured_media":75009,"sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sticky_collection":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4296],"class_list":["post-72974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-craft-beer-muses","tag-breweries"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Jackie](\"https:\/\/cdn.craftbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/JackieOs_Brewery-1-copy-1200x400.jpg\")
<\/a>Driving People Into Athens and the Local Economy<\/h2>\n
![\"Find](\"https:\/\/cdn.craftbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Brewery_Finder.jpg\")
<\/a>Winning at Home<\/h2>\n