Left Hand Brewery Becoming Employee Owned

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by deleted_user_357747, Jul 1, 2015.

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  1. deleted_user_357747

    deleted_user_357747 Initiate (0) Aug 7, 2009

    #1 deleted_user_357747, Jul 1, 2015
    algebeeric_topology, bostonwolf, MyThoughtsExactly and 1 other person like this.
  2. MSmooth

    MSmooth Aspirant (273) Sep 28, 2006 Colorado

    Love it. Those guys are great people.
     
    #2 MSmooth, Jul 1, 2015
    floridadrift likes this.
  3. Jeffreysan

    Jeffreysan Initiate (0) Apr 12, 2013 Virginia

    That's great news!! I love their beer and I love the fact that they're taking care of their employees!
     
    #3 Jeffreysan, Jul 1, 2015
  4. OldManMetal

    OldManMetal Savant (1,071) Jun 5, 2015 North Carolina

    Do as thou will shall be the whole of the beer.
     
    #4 OldManMetal, Jul 1, 2015
    glass_house likes this.
  5. BigDaddyWarbuxx

    BigDaddyWarbuxx Initiate (0) May 25, 2015 Iowa

    Glad to hear this. Left Hand has recently become a go-to for me when it comes to cream stouts.
     
    #5 BigDaddyWarbuxx, Jul 1, 2015
    floridadrift and bostonwolf like this.
  6. putonyourwalkingshoes

    putonyourwalkingshoes Pooh-Bah (1,574) Jul 31, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Huh?
     
    #6 putonyourwalkingshoes, Jul 1, 2015
    StrappingYoungLad likes this.
  7. PorterPro125

    PorterPro125 Pooh-Bah (1,700) Jan 19, 2013 Canada (NB)

    I heard somebody once say that "craft beer is about good people as much as it is about great beer." I can't think of a better example currently. Good on Left Hand. It's quite apparent that the ownership really cares about it's employees.
     
    #7 PorterPro125, Jul 1, 2015
    JuicesFlowing, deleted_user_357747, Dimitri and 2 others like this.
  8. OldManMetal

    OldManMetal Savant (1,071) Jun 5, 2015 North Carolina

    That's a left-handed way of saying "good for them".
     
    #8 OldManMetal, Jul 2, 2015
    putonyourwalkingshoes likes this.
  9. WhoKnew23

    WhoKnew23 Initiate (0) Oct 20, 2014 Michigan

    Pretty cool.
     
    #9 WhoKnew23, Jul 2, 2015
  10. Oktoberfiesta

    Oktoberfiesta Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2013 New Mexico

    Color me dumb. Can anyone lay out what this means to a common employee? Do they earn shares of stocks or are they rewarded based on sales figures? I'm guessing straight net profit goes to the primary owners, directors, and ceos and suchs' salaries and bonuses.

    Do these employee owned companies have employees that all become rich and benefit from the companies success? I haven't really read any beer articles that detail why employee owned is the way to go
     
    #10 Oktoberfiesta, Jul 2, 2015
    lester619 likes this.
  11. deleted_user_357747

    deleted_user_357747 Initiate (0) Aug 7, 2009

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emplo...lan#Advantages_and_disadvantages_to_employees
     
    #11 deleted_user_357747, Jul 2, 2015
  12. beermeplz

    beermeplz Initiate (0) Feb 13, 2015 California

    Gotta say, Left Hand's taproom is probably the most upbeat one that I've ever been too, starting with the service. We went to Oskar Blues right before hitting up LH and it was night and day haha...maybe this has something to do with that.
     
    #12 beermeplz, Jul 2, 2015
  13. dacubz

    dacubz Initiate (0) May 5, 2010 Illinois

    I agree. Just got back from Colorado and visited LH after OB. Like night and day. Great people who care about beer.
     
    #13 dacubz, Jul 2, 2015
    deleted_user_357747 likes this.
  14. timnyc

    timnyc Crusader (425) Dec 28, 2013 New York
    Trader

    Putting the "left" in Left Hand. But really, ESOPs are nice, but they're rather tame. Weaker than a union and a far cry from a worker cooperative.
     
    #14 timnyc, Jul 2, 2015
    deleted_user_357747 likes this.
  15. deleted_user_357747

    deleted_user_357747 Initiate (0) Aug 7, 2009

    ?? Isn't owning the company and working for yourself better than working for someone else for wages?

    I mean, I'm all for unions, but I'd rather own the company!
     
    #15 deleted_user_357747, Jul 2, 2015
  16. brentk56

    brentk56 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,099) May 13, 2004 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    It all depends on the valuation at which the transaction was conducted. If the shares were priced attractively to the employees, they could do very well down the road if the company prospers - far better than they could with a union contract.

    Plus, I have seen, first hand, union contracts get in the way of a brewery's ability to expand when demand for the product necessitates adding additional shifts. Far better to have everybody rowing in the same direction.
     
    #16 brentk56, Jul 7, 2015
    floridadrift likes this.
  17. floridadrift

    floridadrift Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2014 Florida

    Every business should be this way.
     
    #17 floridadrift, Jul 7, 2015
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