Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 29 O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 1 7 And grow the company has. In 2010, they moved the brewing operation from home to "beer row" on Industrial Way in Portland, across from the Allagash Brewing Co. e company outgrew the site, and has been in Freeport since April 2013. e 24,000-square-foot addition is expected to be done before the snow fl ies. "We can't make any more beer," Dan says. "We're busting at the seams." He doesn't know what makes the company so suc- cessful in a market crowded with competition, particu- larly since tasting rooms became legal in 2014. But Zach Schmesser, event coordinator for the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, does. " ey make a qual- ity product, employ great people," he says. "Everybody wants to be associated with them." Schmesser says that even when the Klebans aren't around, the employees exude the class the company is known for. Anne Marisic, the company's events and mar- keting director, was one of its early fans. She was manager at a bar in Washington, D.C., that had 50 draft and 500 bottled beers on its menu when she fi rst tasted Peeper. It stood out. "It was balanced and nuanced," she says. She met the brothers when they visited in 2012 for their offi cial Washington release. She's been working for them since 2013. "A lot of people can make really good beer," Marisic says. "But [the Klebans] are a really good community partner." e 1% for the Planet program is embraced not only by the brothers, but by the staff . "It rings very true and earnest." Schmesser says the company approached the bike coalition in 2015, asking if it could be a sponsor. "It's really amazing that they're lending their popularity to us," he says. He says their beer is so popular that he went to three diff erent Portland stores to buy the company's limited edition Post- Race Snack, brewed for this year's BikeMaine event, on the day it was delivered, and it was sold out. e company highlights one of its charitable partners each month. More than that, it advocates for them. e Klebans have been supporters of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. e bicycle coalition, Schmesser says, "is an organization near and dear to the company … ey're just not about bike advocacy, but they do great work promoting Maine." e large solar array on the property takes care of about 50% of the company's electricity needs. e solar arrays get "as close as we can" to taking care of 100% of its energy consumption, Dan says. Some 90% of the company's waste is recycled, much of it as compost, feed and fertilizer for local farms. Maine Beer is also an active partner in the robust Freeport business community. For instance, L.L.Bean begins and ends its employee bike rides at the company. e company's message "resonates with beer drink- ers," Dan says, even those who aren't familiar with the 1% for the Planet program when they fi rst come in. " ey ask about it, and most of them think it's pretty cool." In the end, it's about more than selling beer. "When we started, if I'd just wanted to make beer, I could have just done that in my garage," Dan Kleban says. "We wanted to make more than just good beer." M M, a cor respondent for Mainebiz, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY 866.736.2804 mainebls.com EQUIPMENT REAL ESTATE BUSINESS ACQUISITION Maine Loans for Maine Businesses Loans from $50,000 to $20,000,000 Streamlined Process Gets Deals Done Quickly Decisions Made in Maine 35 Airport Road Brewer, Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 www.facebook.com/NickersonODay/ 35 Airport Road Brewer, Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 35 Airport Road Brewer, Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 35 Airport Road Brewer, Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 Proudly building "the County" for over 65 years! 65 years! NICKERSON & O'DAY, INC. Constructors - Since 1952 www.nickoday.com Sargent Family Community Center, Presque Isle Sargent Family Community Center, Presque Isle Photo Credit: Harriman Architects At completion, October 2016 October, 2015 March, 2016 David, left, and Daniel Kleban, middle, co-owners of Maine Beer Co., talk to brewer Paul Aho about a new pilot brew. The company's special brews typically attract a crowd to the Freeport headquarters.

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