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Two area businesses have brewed up something special.
After acquiring MDC Packaging Machinery in January, RND Automation & Engineering moved to a new building at the beginning of August in Lakewood Ranch. The combined company’s 35,000-square-foot facility is home to 44 employees. RND designs and assembles custom-made automation and robotic machines used by manufacturers.
After the move, RND gained a new neighbor — Naughty Monk Brewery. RND President and CEO Sean Dotson tells Coffee Talk, “We’ve always had a tradition of Beer 30 on Fridays, where we quit work at 4:30 p.m. and have a couple beverages and try to discuss anything other than work.”
When RND found it brewery neighbor, the team found the perfect new Beer 30 location.
After getting to know the Naughty Monk staff through their Friday visits, Dotson says an idea was born. “We said, ‘It would be neat if we could have a beer brewed just for that.’” Dotson says Naughty Monk’s reply was quick: “‘Absolutely. We can do that.’”
RND came up with the name — RND Robot Red — for the red in the company’s logo and the type of beer. Then Naughty Monk got to work brewing it.
Now the beer is an official item on the menu. And for every pint sold, RND and Naughty Monk will donate a yet-to-be-determined percentage to science, technology, engineering and math education. RND wants to distribute the money to STEM programs in schools across the county.
Dotson says he thinks that when the bartenders explain the story behind RND Robot Red and the cause it will help support, customers will be encouraged to order it. “It’s good,” he says. “It’s very drinkable. I think it appeals to most beer drinkers’ palates.”
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