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JDub's Brewing Co. has been experiencing a period of growth and expansion.
What’s up next? More growth and expansion, says Jeremy "JDub" Joerger, founder and CEO of the Sarasota-based craft brewery. “As demand grew and as we continued to make more and more beer, we quickly realized there was an opportunity to grow,” he says.
Recent growth includes starting to sell beer in Kroger stores in Georgia. It’s also launching Passion Wheat and Dub Pack variety packs in Florida. Plus, the brewing company released its Passion Wheat in 7-ounce six-packs, called Pequeña Passion, sold at Publix stores in South Florida. Joerger tells Coffee Talk growth ahead is about “getting in and getting the beers in front of as many accounts as possible.”
JDub's plan includes continuing to test the marketplace in new stores and areas. Throughout the expansion, Joerger wants to maintain what makes his products special. The goal, he says, is to build something authentic with the Sarasota mark on it. “It’s just representing Sarasota and what this brewery does and is capable of,” he says.
It’s also about getting the beer into people’s hands. Through the process of entering grocery chains, Joerger learned some big lessons. The biggest one? “The importance of establishing relationships with those accounts that you’re trying to get into,” he says.
It’s also crucial, adds Joerger, for companies that want products to be sold in grocery chains to make sure there's good data to validate the shelf space.
Joerger and his sales team promote JDub’s to a host of potential customers. “We’ve grown — we now have three reps throughout the state, plus a sales director,” he says. “Any grocery store that’s selling high-quality beer, we'd love to be in.”
When Joerger started the business, two things were key: “The quality of the liquid that you put out, and two, being authentic to yourself and whatever your brand represents.” He aims to stay true to that moving forward. Joerger says, “One of the things we're known for and I'm known for — if I see an opportunity, I jump in.”
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