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North Fulton Studio

North Fulton's Craft Beer Industry, with Charles Gridley, Six Bridges Brewing, and Andy Williams, Topside Tap Trail and Visit Roswell

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North Fulton’s Craft Beer Industry (GNFCC 400 Insider, Episode 63)

Charles Gridley of Six Bridges Brewing and Andy Williams of the Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau joined host Kali Boatright to discuss the burgeoning craft brewing industry North Fulton. Andy also talked about the new Topside Tap Trail, highlighting seven breweries in North Fulton, and Charles shared Six Bridges’ plans to expand to a second location in Milton. The GNFCC 400 Insider is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Charles Gridley, Co-Owner & CEO, Six Bridges Brewing in Johns Creek

Charles Gridley is CEO and co-founder of Six Bridges Brewing in Johns Creek, GA with his son, Clay. They were homebrewers for 10 years before opening Six Bridges Brewing in 2018. Six Bridges has a 2,000 square-foot tasting room, as well as a 2,000 square-foot beer garden. They brew on a 30 barrel brewhouse, and a 2 barrel pilot system.

Charles is a chemical engineer and graduate of Georgia Tech. He previously worked in production manufacturing for Heraeus Tenevo and Baldor Electric.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

Topside Tap Trail

The Topside Tap Trail is comprised of seven branded breweries in metro Atlanta’s “topside,” located in the cities of Roswell, Alpharetta, and Sandy Springs, Georgia. The trail was established to ensure North Fulton’s beer culture along the GA400 corridor gets the acclaimed recognition it deserves. The tap trail is brought to you by Visit Roswell, Awesome Alpharetta, and Visit Sandy Springs,

Website

Andy Williams, Executive Director, Visit Roswell – Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau

**Andy Williams, Executive Director, Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau**

Visit Roswell is the destination’s convention and visitors bureau. Often referred to as a destination marketing organization (DMO), their organization incorporates targeted advertising and marketing programs with sales and public relations efforts to build the image of Roswell as a travel destination and increase visitation to the city.

Andy Williams became Executive Director in January 2019. Williams is formerly Director of Sales for Destination South Meetings + Events, a DMC Network Company, which is based in Atlanta. He is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) through the Events Industry Council and a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) through the Southeast Tourism Society.

A graduate of Young Harris College with an Associate of Science degree and Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science: Tourism & Commercial Recreation, Williams began his tourism career as a Project Coordinator with the Madison-Morgan Convention and Visitors Bureau in Madison, Georgia in 2007.

In 2011, he became a Sales Manager for the Dunwoody Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he later became Director of Sales.

Williams has received several awards in his career, including Rookie Rotarian of the Year (2008-2009); Historic Heartland Travel Association Member of the Year in 2010; Meeting Professionals International – Georgia Chapter’s Rising Star of the Year in 2013; and Special Events Magazine’s 25 Young Event Pros to Watch in 2018.

Williams and his wife Ryan, have two children.

About GNFCC and “The GNFCC 400 Insider”

“The GNFCC 400 Insider” is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and is hosted by Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

The GNFCC promotes the interests of our members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events such as this North Fulton Mayors Appreciation Lunch, follow this link.

For the complete show archive of “The GNFCC 400 Insider,” go to GNFCC400Insider.com. “The GNFCC 400 Insider” is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

North Fulton Studio

The Keys to Recovery for the Craft Brewing Industry in 2021, with Jason Sleeman, United Community Bank

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The Keys to Recovery for the Craft Brewing Industry in 2021, with Jason Sleeman, United Community Bank

John Ray: [00:00:00] And hello again, everyone. This is John Ray with Business RadioX. And I’m here with Jason Sleeman. Jason is with United Community Bank, and he is also an authority on the craft brewing industry. Jason, my question for you is, what are the keys to recovery for the craft brewing industry in 2021?

Jason Sleeman: [00:00:22] So, after 2020 not being such a great year for a lot of breweries, mainly because people couldn’t come and see them in the tap rooms, they’re focused on probably three things in 2021 to see that recovery. The first is watching their margins. So, because a lot of the beer that was sent out in 2020 was through package that was going out to retailers, they’re going to want to focus on trying to get some of that back into their tap room. So, selling the more profitable beer across their bar, and really trying to have people buy to go beer, and just really kind of support them at the source of manufacturing.

Jason Sleeman: [00:01:01] They’re also going to want to continue to focus on the quality beer. As people have more and more choices in 2021, the more quality that they can provide and the more unique varieties, people are going to really be flocked to their brand, and they’re just going to be really happy with what they’re going to do.

Jason Sleeman: [00:01:18] And lastly, I think they want to focus on the community. The craft beverage industry really is about camaraderie and people working together. And there’s so much industry cross collaboration that what they’re really trying to do is have the families out on the weekends and Saturdays as weather gets warmer, and really try and create that family environment. So, what they’re trying to do is really just put those three things together. They’re trying to create high profit, high quality, family-friendly environment. And that’s what’s going to be the key for their recovery in 2021.

Jason Sleeman, United Community Bank

Like many in the craft beverage business Jason Sleeman, VP of Craft Beverage Lending with United Community Bank, is following his passion. He has worked on many brewery, winery, and distillery projects, developing an understanding of the specific needs of these businesses and what roadblocks can happen in the lending process. No matter the stage, start-up, expansion, or acquisition Jason can help you deliver on your lending needs.

United Community Bank has a full service SBA and conventional lending group. They can assist with franchises, 504 lending, and general SBA 7a lending.

Jason works with his clients to be a true banking advisor, finding a win-win solution that addresses their financial needs. He introduces partners in his network to his clients, providing executive insight, strategic planning, and discussion to add value to the company.

This bio is Jason Sleeman’s personal profile; his views and opinions are his own and not that of UCBI.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Listen to Jason’s full interview on Family Business Radio here.

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and in the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

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