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24 Worcester Business Journal | Fact Book 2017 | wbjournal.com C e n t r a l M a s s . S o u t h R E G I O N S Brilliantly powering the future of Worcester | 242 Mill Street, Worcester, MA 01602 508.753.8635 www.ibewlocal96.org Building a brighter future for Worcester and Central Massachusetts. 8.1MW Worcester Solar Landfill AbbVie, Worcester For your next project, make the bright choice... IBEW Local 96. Call Business Manager Thomas J. Maloney at 508-753-8635 to learn more. PHOTO: SEYMOUR LEVY PHOTO COURTESY: WAYNE DION AND MASS. ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION R apscallion Brewery in Sturbridge is part of the area's booming craft brewing scene. Besides buying a beer at its onsite tap room, or in 32-oz. cans to take home, visitors can take exer- cise classes, attend craft workshops, enjoy seasonal festivals and play disc golf. The brewery partners with Hyland Orchard, which rents its space, to offer a variety of activities. This year, the brewery added a food truck to its offerings. How many employees do you have in town? What kinds of jobs do they do? We currently have 13 employees; nine are bartenders, and the other four are our head brewer, marketing manag- er, food truck chef/operator, and our disc golf course manager, who also assists with canning. Where do your customers come from? Weekdays it's mostly locals, while the weekends bring folks from Boston to New York and beyond. Do you find that the tourist attractions in Central Mass. South are helpful in drawing potential customers to the Beers and fun in Central Mass. South area? Yes, Sturbridge sees a lot of tourism along with traffic from conferences and weddings, and craft beer tourism has its own following, who want to hit every brewery they can, often several in a day. How have you found local institutions like the chamber of commerce or town government to work with? Our local chamber is very active, and the town's Tourism & Economic Development Office is as well. We are in regular communication with both, and have worked together in numerous capacities. With lots of craft brewers coming into the area, do you feel like you're in competition with them, or is there a value in being in close proximity to other breweries? It's definitely the latter. There will soon be three breweries open in Sturbridge, and five within a 10 mile radius. Craft beer tourism brings flocks of people to the area every weekend, and even if one brewery brought them to the area, many will visit others while they are here. Each offers its own unique experience with its atmosphere contributing almost as much as its beers. This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by Livia Gershon, special to the Worcester Business Journal. Rapscallion Brewery stands out in the craft beer market by offering outdoor activities at its Hyland Orchard location. W