Left Hand Brewing to Become Employee-owned

Left Hand Brewing has announed it will begin an Employee Stock Ownership Plan for its 100 employees, effective immediately.

Following in the footsteps of New Belgium, Harpoon, Full Sail and Deschutes, and in the face of more and more common buyouts and acquisition of craft breweries by macro breweries, Left Hand is placing its future in the hands of its employees.

Here is the release from Left Hand:

LONGMONT, CO • July 1, 2015 – Amidst the craft brewing industry buzz of big-beer buyouts, Left Hand Brewing Company is taking the future of their brewery into their own hands. As part of their vision statement, to be a brewery of broad employee ownership, Left Hand has been progressively moving towards and planning for an employee stock ownership plan of succession.  Today, the brewery announced that after years in development, it has finalized the repurchase of common shares from current stockholders and has established the Left Hand Brewing Company Employee Stock Ownership Plan, solidifying their investment in employee ownership.

Left Hand was founded by Eric Wallace and Dick Doore in Longmont, CO in 1993. Over the years, the brewery has experienced many challenges and rewards, from early success and industry consolidation to its steady growth into the regional-sized brewery it is today. Twenty-two years later, Left Hand has built a strong business foundation with an award-winning portfolio of beer and a team of over one hundred employees, producing 74.5K bbls while giving $449K back to the community in 2014.
 
Under Left Hand’s new employee ownership plan, the brewery will contribute stock to the ESOP trust with each eligible employee receiving an annual allocation.  “Our intent is to reward employees and foster an ownership mentality, encouraging team members to contribute to and participate in Left Hand’s long-term success,” commented Eric Wallace, co-founder & CEO.

Joining a small handful of US craft breweries including New Belgium, Deschutes, & Harpoon, Left Hand is choosing the path of independence and empowering its brewery from within. Per the brewery’s vision statement & core values, the ESOP will help to cultivate long-term service, promote responsibility and trust in all relationships and create a sense of pride in the workplace. “It’s not about maximizing immediate financial return.  We have a longer view.  Money is only a tool to serve our greater mission,” states Wallace. “Left Hand is about brewing great beer, giving back to our community, and perpetuating a participative employee culture. With the implementation of the ESOP, it is our resolve to keep our vision alive and prosperous.”
 
Employee Owned. Righteously Independent – Left Hand Brewing Co.