A head brew: Alaskan Brewing Company celebrates 20 years of success: from a meager start to expanding Outside, this company is making ranks among Alaska's leading companies.

In 2006, the Alaskan Brewing Co. celebrates its 20th anniversary as Alaska's premier beer-brewing facility. Years ago, co-founders Geoff and Marcy Larson sat discussing ways to make a living in Alaska and perked up at the mention of opening a brewery: especially Geoff, a chemical engineer and homebrewer. After five years of research, the couple raised $500,000 from the hearts, minds and pocketbooks of Alaskans from Ketchikan to Kotzebue and their fermenting idea became a liquid asset. On Dec. 30, 1986, they bottled 253 cases of Alaskan Amber. Stores were sold out of this inaugural (and now brand-name) brew in less than 24 hours.

Alaskan Brewing is an all-Alaskan company, and has been since its inception. Its mission statement is simply to produce internationally recognized quality malt beverages, showcase quality-oriented manufacturing in Alaska as financially rewarding to its stakeholders, and have fun growing as a company and individually. Right now, the company employs 67 full-time, year-round employees (54 in Alaska, 13 in the Lower 48)-a significant increase from the days when it was just Marcy, Geoff, and two other full-timers, hiring extras on bottling days once a week.

The Alaskan Brewing facility is located in Juneau, and distributes in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, California, Nevada and Arizona. When asked about plans to move production to another state, Marcy answered that they choose to remain in Alaska, as an Alaskan company-this is core to what Alaskan Brewing is all about. "We set out to showcase manufacturing in Alaska and build pride in our state.... We owe it to our crew, our consumers and ourselves to remain authentic to our original mandate," Marcy says. But there is a possibility for expanded distribution, as the company looks at future industry growth, and the increase in appreciation for fine beer. "We anticipate growing contiguously, as we have done in the past," says Marcy.

Today, because the Larsons pay such close attention to making an Alaskan, unique, and quality-oriented product, their employees as well as the national business community have come to appreciate their efforts. Recently, the company received two awards at the Fourth Annual American Business Awards (dubbed "the business world's version of the Oscars") for Best Creative Team and Best Corporate Communicator at the ceremonies this spring in New York City.

Eric Morrow, a packager who has worked at Alaskan Brewing for two years, used to commercially fish in order to drink beer. Now, he says, "I package beer so I can fish." Alaskan Brewing is the best place he's ever worked, and "it's the people, from the top down," that make it so.

Ryan Harvey agrees. As a production assistant in quality assurance, working for six years with Alaskan Brewing, Harvey expresses a love for the people and the camaraderie he finds there. "Everyone gets along at work and we hang out outside of work, too. If you like the people you work with, it makes it enjoyable to come to work." And Mike Weber, IT project manager, can't imagine a better place to work. For him, the brewery is a "fun, casual, yet challenging place to work," and has been for 10 years.

"We are one of the greatest collections of diverse people in one place that I have ever seen," says Charlie Brown, a six-year veteran and bookkeeper. He also firmly believes in the opportunity for advancement that Alaskan Brewing provides. Before becoming a bookkeeper in the accounting department, Brown started as a packager and a brewer.

Bill Spinnell, district sales manager in Washington state, has been with Alaskan Brewing for five years and also cites the power of the people. "It feels like a family," he says. "Everyone is respectful, has a great work ethic, and strives to reach the same common goal."

The key, according to Marcy, is "quality products made by quality people in a quality place. Our definition of success," says Marcy, "is fulfilling our mission statement-to make internationally recognized beer, showcase manufacturing in Alaska, and have fun. If we hit all that, what else is there?

"We always see the future as ripe with opportunity," says Marcy. "We will stay true to our mission statement, and we will grow the way we need to grow." All in all, she says, Alaskan Brewing plans on "continuing to make award-winning beer and bringing pride and recognition to the state of Alaska."