Brewing Big (With a Micro Soul)

Love, Beer and Profit
What Jordan created, says Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, is nothing short of remarkable. "To grow as big as they have, and to have that unique personality, has a lot to do with Kim being the CEO," he says. "This kind of company culture, more often than not, has to be individually driven by a leader."

And it is. Soon after establishing the company, she and Lebesch had hiked into the mountains to talk about what their brewery would look like. They came back with values such as "kindling social, environmental and cultural change as a business role model" and "having fun." Most important was what became New Belgium's "purpose statement": "To operate a profitable brewery which makes our love and talent manifest."

"I know it sounds corny," Jordan says. "A lot of people might find this culture a little too freaky because there's a fairly high level of emotional communication that goes on here."

But New Belgium's co-workers seem genuinely happy. They call out spirited greetings and stop to chat. Instead of handshakes, there are often high-fives--sometimes even hugs. And Jordan is committed to keeping that culture intact as the company grows.

"I think one of my jobs is to say to people, 'I don't know why we would do that--make more rules, make more policies--just because that's what big companies do," she says. Of course, no company can be a democracy, and all decisions are ultimately in Jordan's hands. She says she looks first to profitability and then considers effects on the community and strategies to improve any piece of the operation.

The results have outpaced even the booming craft-brewing industry itself: While the industry has grown 8.1 percent over five years, New Belgium has grown 13.4 percent. The company entered five new distribution territories this year, and it plans to expand its beer portfolio and pursue partnerships with regional breweries in 2010. That way, the brand will feel more local in new communities, and more management opportunities will open up for employees.

"Stasis is not an option," Jordan says. "If we're all in the same place today that we were in five years ago, that won't be very interesting for the kinds of people that I want to employ."

Indeed, the proper term for New Belgium employees regardless of rank is "co-workers." And many have long histories with the company, such as media relations director Bryan Simpson, who first started on the packaging line. Jennifer Orgolini moved from COO to sustainability director. And, yes, that's like a promotion at New Belgium.

"I just feel like the luckiest person," Jordan continues, her voice breaking suddenly. "I work with incredible people who ... " She wipes her eyes before adding, "Sorry, I don't know why that makes me cry but, really, they've taken to owning this in a way I couldn't have imagined."

All in a Day's Work
By 9:30 a.m., people are lining up outside Jordan's door, waiting for a chance to speak with her. On her agenda: A slew of direct report meetings, an appointment with the president of the Brewers Association, a meeting with a community representative and, of course, several beer tastings. She looks up from her iPhone: "This is actually a light day for me."

Is she surprised she is where she is? Jordan laughs. "I have nearly daily moments of 'This place? Me? We're together? Whoa, who'd have thought?'

"For me to have said, sitting on those rocks way back when, that we were going to be this big, it would have seemed ridiculous, daunting," she says. "It snuck up on me."

But in the next breath, she sounds as if she has chased success as hard as she could. "We did not rest," she recalls of the early days. "If there was brewing that needed to be done, we brewed, and my kids have been to more beer festivals than I should probably admit to."

Her older son, Zak, 24, is a cellar operator at the brewery and an active forager. Today he happens to be behind the main building, picking blackberries. Her other son, Nick, 17, is a senior in high school and "a happening cat," as Jordan says.

Simpson, her media guy, stops by to talk about last night's screening of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," part of the weekly summer movie series the brewery sponsors on its front lawn.
About 400 people biked in and set up lawn chairs and blankets for the show. It resembled a giant block party, with neighbors and New Belgium employees milling about and chatting over foamy cups of Fat Tire ale.

Jordan missed the party because she had Gov. Bill Ritter and nearly 100 of his supporters at her house for a fundraising cocktail. Naturally, she raised more than expected.

This article was originally published in the November 2009 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Brewing Big (With a Micro Soul).