Ribstone Creek Brewery

Ribstone Creek Brewery

The Ribstone Creek Brewery is a small 'craft’ style brewery located in the village of Edgerton in east-central Alberta. Ribstone Creek Brewery Inc. was federally incorporated in the spring of 2009 ensuring the company name is protected throughout Canada. Founding members: Cal Hawkes, Al Gordon, Don Paré and Chris Fraser Our goal: To enter the beer production and sales business and to take advantage of the increasing demand for high-quality craft brewed products. Our market: In Alberta the beer market is dominated by two large national breweries. There is, however, a growing trend throughout North America that shows smaller local breweries are taking an ever increasing share of the beer market. In Alberta there are currently very few micro or cottage type breweries. It is an opportune time for Ribstone Creek Brewery to open its door for business. We do not intend to be in direct competition with the big breweries but rather to produce two or three premium quality products that will be positioned strategically in the market place to attract the beer drinker who is looking for something different, something better, something local. We will not attempt to have the “cheapest” beer nor will we price our product too high. We shall sell a premium product for a reasonable price. As they say, “good value for the money”. One of our primary goals is to establish and grow a profitable business which benefits the shareholders and the local communities utilizing local resources to the greatest extent possible. As our brewery prospers and grows our communities will benefit from both the values of Ribstone Creek Brewery and its behaviour as an upstanding corporate citizen. Initial plans are to produce two or three varieties of beer, with a clear, crisp pilsner/lager style beer to be our main focus and “flag ship” product, accompanied by an ale style brew for those looking for a darker more full bodied product. As our business prospers we will introduce other beers and ales to our product line. In order to prosper and grow Ribstone Creek will maintain a flexible and responsive approach to provide our customers with the beer they want, when they want it and at a price they find acceptable. From the product concept to goods delivered we will ensure that every Ribstone Creek policy and procedure, every system and process shall have the objective of improving our ability to meet the needs of the entire community. All aspects of the Ribstone Creek operation, from management to production to marketing will maintain close communication and interaction to realize our full potential. Our strategy: Our marketing strategy will be to ensure our retail customers are familiar with all our products, promotions and marketing aids so that the consumer has the necessary encouragement and abundant opportunity to purchase and enjoy our products. We will employ a market penetration strategy to ensure we are well known, well promoted and well respected in the industry. We, at Ribstone Creek, feel it is important to recognize that our tangible resources such as the brewery and the beer alone are unlikely to make us potent competitors in the beer industry. The intangibles such as our ability to relate to consumers, management style, good corporate citizenry, our commitment to our communities and share holders in conjunction with the tangibles are the elements that will differentiate us from our competitors and allow us to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. We shall employ the services of a professional and experienced brew master to develop our unique product recipes and to provide expert advice in the set up and training of staff so that unnecessary expenses are avoided and our set up is proper and efficient. Ribstone Creek will provide a good work environment and attractive compensation to our personnel. Our compensation program will meet or exceed Alberta Employment Standards and we will implement a profit sharing program in due course. As an employer we respect the diversity and human rights of all our people and we shall strive to achieve optimal productivity while helping each employee to realize their full potential and enjoy job satisfaction. It is our belief that good employees are often hard to find and keep, so we intend to treat them right. Awards and recognition will be presented for outstanding efforts so as to instil a sense of pride, loyalty and fun and to promote high ideals and standards. By encouraging all employees that deal with our customers and the public at large to think tactically about what Ribstone Creek service should be, and by having enthusiastic, capable and empowered people interacting with our customers, we will build the competitive advantage of meeting our customers needs better than our competitors. The founding members will constitute the first management team and will attend to the construction, operation and management of the brewery and marketing. They provide impressive and varied backgrounds and experience to help guide the brewery as it grows. Simply stated, our goal is to develop a profitable business that provides a good rate of return to our shareholders and enhances the economy of Village of Edgerton and neighbouring communities by brewing and selling premium quality, locally brewed beers while being a good contributing corporate citizen.