[hopfenundmalz]

Don't forget, you can always sell shares in your brewery that are not voting shares.  You may have fewer takers, but it is one way to retain control.

Very true. There is a little place called BBC that did that.

[anthony]

Don't forget, you can always sell shares in your brewery that are not voting shares.  You may have fewer takers, but it is one way to retain control.

Very true. There is a little place called BBC that did that.

Even without an offering of shares, you can still structure your operating corporation so that managers have the majority of control and members essentially only vote to replace managers. Plus Larry has spent the last several years trying to buy those shareholders all back out again. Aside from the complexities of doing a stock offering, a lot of thought should be given before bringing on any sort of equity partner, be it voting or non-voting.

[nateo]

Before I put my brewery plans on hold, I was planning on starting one business to buy the equipment and then renting that equipment to my brewery business. I thought it was a little bit silly and maybe overly complicated, but I'm glad to hear a lawyer came up with the same idea.

[hopfenundmalz]

Don't forget, you can always sell shares in your brewery that are not voting shares.  You may have fewer takers, but it is one way to retain control.

Very true. There is a little place called BBC that did that.

Even without an offering of shares, you can still structure your operating corporation so that managers have the majority of control and members essentially only vote to replace managers. Plus Larry has spent the last several years trying to buy those shareholders all back out again. Aside from the complexities of doing a stock offering, a lot of thought should be given before bringing on any sort of equity partner, be it voting or non-voting.

I was talking about the Boston Brewing Company. Jim Koch has all of the voting shares.

Don't know how Bells is set up for voting shares. Larry Bell has been trying to buy all shares back so he can leave the brewery to his kids. You can read more here -
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/04/bells_brewery_inc_to_be_sold_l.html

[narvin]

Summary: Know lots of rich people who will lend you money.  Thanks for the tip, Einstein.

[boulderbrewer]

It would be nice to have a sugar moma! So everything else would be moot. We are avoiding taking on debt as of yet, but we are like a couple weeks of brewing our first batch. Guess we are lucky that way but I wouldn't mind 20 K right now for a piece of mind.

[Thirsty_Monk]

No loans and no investors.
Thank you guys.
It is a lot of work to do it this way thou.

[hopfenundmalz]

No loans and no investors.
Thank you guys.
It is a lot of work to do it this way thou.

+1 Leos.
Will taste your beer sometime passing through.

[mpietropaoli]

Bell has been trying to buy all shares back so he can leave the brewery to his kids. You can read more here -
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/04/bells_brewery_inc_to_be_sold_l.html

THAT is rarely a good idea!

[majorvices]

I could not have groan my business to where it is now without a loan. We didn't start with a loan but it became quickly apparent that we needed cash if we were going to grow into a real business. We are ready to take on another 120K right now and we are looking into taking on another partner buying a 10th of the company.

After this next loan is paid off the scary one comes because we will need a couple million to build out a new facility and hopefully grow into a truly regional brewery.

[hopfenundmalz]

Bell has been trying to buy all shares back so he can leave the brewery to his kids. You can read more here -
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/04/bells_brewery_inc_to_be_sold_l.html

THAT is rarely a good idea!

Ken Grossman has Sierra Nevada, and he intends to leave it to his son and daughter. Some brewers want to follow the German tradition of breweries that are run by the family for generations.

[Thirsty_Monk]

No loans and no investors.
Thank you guys.
It is a lot of work to do it this way thou.

+1 Leos.
Will taste your beer sometime passing through.

Please stop by.

[Thirsty_Monk]

Bell has been trying to buy all shares back so he can leave the brewery to his kids. You can read more here -
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/04/bells_brewery_inc_to_be_sold_l.html

THAT is rarely a good idea!

Ken Grossman has Sierra Nevada, and he intends to leave it to his son and daughter. Some brewers want to follow the German tradition of breweries that are run by the family for generations.

Much better idea then selling off to private equity investment company.

[nateo]

Much better idea then selling off to private equity investment company.

Only if your kids actually want the darn thing.

[punatic]

I could not have groan my business to where it is now without a loan.

Was it really that painful?   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQu2SVFF-cU