Kyle White
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
David Cooperrider
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Turning traditional brewing on it’s head, Jen and John Kimmich have transformed their Brewery into a production machine that puts a premium on workforce, recycles, utilizes alternate forms of energy, and treats their waste water in their own wastewater treatment system. Their philosophy is to protect the environment, provide living wages and healthcare to all their workers and to produce the best beer that their imaginations can create. It is difficult to find any of the UN Global Goals UN Sustainable Development Goals that their business does not directly or indirectly address.
While John’s beer recipes are very innovative, Jen is clear that she sees their greatest innovation as professionalizing service industry roles. Jen and John take pride in making a positive change in the world by using the power they have earned through building a robust business from the ground up. The Alchemist started as a microbrewery/pub and is now a beer production, canning and distribution operation that has grown into an internationally recognized brand. Jen believes that historically hospitality roles were (and are) not considered professional. Workers were undervalued and underpaid. When Jen and John opened the Alchemist Pub and Brewery their entry level kitchen workers earned a salary, were given health insurance and paid days off. This was unheard of in this industry at the time. As they launched their business their expectations were modest. Their dream was to work for themselves even if it meant working 80 hour weeks. They wanted to own a microbrewery/ pub that radiated “welcome”. When they identified/uncovered opportunities for growth/evolution, they would evaluate, research, and analyze data before making courageous and groundbreaking business decisions. Often their innovations paved the way for other businesses and created a new normal. They were not focused on return on investment or getting rich but were focused on being profitable while living their values -- environment and human dignity. Staying focused on their beliefs and values paid off financially and their success became a model for other business owners locally, regionally and around the world. Jen and Jon coach people from all over the world who travel to Stowe Vermont to tour their facility and learn about the roots of their ongoing success and profitability.
They have transformed an industry from one that was traditionally old school, male-dominated into one where anyone, male, female, LGBTQ+ can hold any role from canning beer to driving the distribution company trucks. They take pride in employing individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities and eagerly recount the day these employees returned work post COVID. The excitement and sense of belonging experienced when everyone came together again is a source of pride and joy. Jen appreciates and recognizes that employees are individuals with lives outside of work. The Alchemist provides wellness resources and funding for health care co-pays to encourage workers to be healthy mentally and physically. These resources are provided because Jen has the philosophy that taking care of all employees is good for business. Period.
Jen and her husband John had both worked on the front lines as servers and bartenders. They knew how they wanted to be treated at work and they knew how they had been treated. Perhaps more significantly, John had developed an innovative new beer recipe that he wanted to bring to market. Jen having always been environmentally conscious, built sustainability into their long-term business plan. At first their dream was simply to operate a successful Microbrewery / Pub. Once it was clear that the demand for their first beer, Heady Topper, exceeded the supply they could produce at their microbrewery their dream expanded to a canning operation. As demand for their brand grew, so did their canning operation. Throughout their company growth and evolution they have continually pivoted motivated by their keen awareness of their target market, community and region. When Hurricane Irene flooded and effectively closed their Pub, they turned their business focus entirely on producing beer and creating new beer recipes. Their ongoing success provided them with the financial freedom to incorporate their other priorities including a generous wage/benefit package, investment in water recycling and solar energy, and the funding of a foundation that supports youth and workforce development.
The Impact to the Environment, Community Vitality, Human Dignity, and Well Being is extensive and cascades between all of these. The environment benefits on multiple levels. Their focus on water quality, renewable energy and recycling have set a standard that others try to emulate. Business Visitors from around the world arrive to view their operations and learn more about the Water Quality focus demonstrated by their on site water treatment. 1200 gallons of their waste water are treated daily. Their commitment is further demonstrated by the position in the company of a Wastewater Manager. The Alchemists’ production facility daily output of Biological Oxygen Demand in the wastewater, a common measure of aerobic bacteria, is less than an average family of four. Their tank wash, hops, yeast, spent grain residue and lost process beer are sent to an anaerobic bio-digester where they are transformed into compost. If not for this process these wastes would go to a landfill. The Alchemist invests in renewable energy. 67% of their overall power usage is powered using solar energy. One of their canneries is powered exclusively through solar energy and excess power is donated to a nearby senior center. They aggressively recycle including materials such as grain bags (of which they use 600-800 week).
In addition to the environmental benefits, John and Jen bring an outward facing philosophy of business ownership to their community. Arts, music, education, inclusivity and diversity are core values that are lived and demonstrated, not just spoken. Since 2012, the Alchemist Foundation has awarded $500,000 in educational scholarships. Jen says “We’re passionate about making sure every young person knows that they have a positive future in Vermont and can explore the many paths to realizing their dreams.” The Foundation annually awards 12 multi-year scholarships for students beyond high school for trade school or college. Jen and John are visible and available in their community talking with youth at schools about careers and opportunities. The Alchemist Tourist Center hosts events that attract tourists and tourism dollars, such as the Beer Garden. They also host story-time for children where racism, gender and themes that celebrate differences are explored. The Alchemist website states their philosophy but , their culture models it for their community and the world to see.
Jen and Jon have seen their vision of a collaborative workplace that values employees balloon into a much larger and more diverse organization than they could ever have imagined. As a business, they are profitable enough to invest in initiatives such as their water purification system with an environmental sustainability return instead of a financial one. They have seen their community, state, and national influence grow into a leadership / mentoring role for other businesses, politics, and in workforce development. As they build their business they made the choice to distribute their beer within Vermont state lines which had the unintended consequence of building demand which made their operation a destination for travelers. This created an opportunity for hosting arts and music festivals as well as storybook times for children with equity, diversity and inclusion themes.
The benefits to Society and the Environment are closely aligned with the benefit to the business. Financial prosperity has allowed Jen and Jon to invest in environmentally sustainable technology which often is not a profit driver but is the right thing to do. They use the power and recognition society gives them as successful business entrepreneurs for the good of others rather than enhance their bottom line at the expense of the environment or others. Society benefits through their workforce who earn living wages and can afford healthcare because of the benefits they provide. Jen and John demonstrate their commitment to diversity by actively recruiting from all sectors. They take particular pride in hiring a diverse group of people including those with physical and mental disabilities. The environment and society benefit by the sustainable initiatives Jen and John put in place and their ongoing commitment to uncover others. They teach other businesses from around the world about their initiatives and work with students to prepare them for the workforce. They fund scholarships for college and trade school to further bolster the emerging workforce. In addition to all of this, they promote the arts by hosting events and diversity through their youth programs and hiring practices.
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Jen and John Kimmich were working hard and earning little when they met and fell in love while working as servers/bartenders in a Microbrewery/Pub. Their dream was to own a modest, profitable Pub of their own providing a hospitable, inviting customer experience where employees earned living wages and where John’s creative beer recipes took center stage. Their success exceeded their wildest expectations allowing them to become trailblazers in running a business that values human resources and is a leader in innovations that promote human and environmental sustainability.
