Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Presented x Mondial de la Bière [June 14-18, 2017 – Montréal]
Your current job:
Beer Pipeline Officer
In which city are you located?
Casselman ON
A word to define what kind of worker you are:
The kind that feels the need for more time in the day! If I could skip sleep I would! I’m a passionate entrepreneur which is the fuel I run on to go through the day. I love our team at Cassel we have so much fun together, I’m not a boss but a leader, I will do sh*ty jobs as much as anyone else.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
All my tools! I’m well equipped when it comes to tools to do pretty much anything from welding to electrical to plumbing. As for a tool that helps me go through the day, I would say my smartphone cause it enables me to reply quickly to any emails.
What does your office space look like?
Filled with stainless and beer! haha! I have a very small desk which I try not to spend more time there that I need to. I got to get moving all the time!
How large is the brewery?
We’re small but constantly growing. We presently produce tax a rate of 1250HL
The reason you started brewing?
By simple curiosity of how beer is made which eventually turned into a passion as soon as I started brewing all grain. I started brewing all grain in 2007 and the craft beer movement was in its infancy so I jumped on the opportunity with a dream to have my own brewery. I was already an entrepreneur so the jump to the business world was already done.
What was the inspiration behind your brewery?
Casselman has been known for a long time for its railroad track, there was a lot of trading back in the days of steam locomotives. In fact, the building beside our brewery had a cargo wagon parked on the siding to unload hundreds of cases of beer. People can relate to steam locomotives so it was a no-brainer going with that theme.
What are the biggest challenges for you as a brewer in Ontario?
Marketing is the biggest challenge considering we were the 8th brewery to open in eastern ON and we’re now close to 40. we have to stand out from the crowd.
What kind of music do you listen to when you are working?
All kinds! from classic to death metal depending on our mood.
Do you have a way to organize your days to optimize your work?
very hard to organize anything. There is always something popping up at last minute all the time. This is what being an entrepreneur is, being able to efficiently deal with agenda shift.
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
Meetings and spreadsheets are serving us well. Meetings need to efficient to make most of the time.
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
Stay positive no matter what! The book Power of Positive thinking has tough me a lot 15 years ago. When you face challenging times, plow ahead and never doubt yourself that you will be able to overcome the difficult challenges.
What is your routine start and end of the day?
The only routine I have is bringing my kids to daycare, beside that there is no routine ever.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
My bottle opener for obvious reasons haha!
3 Ontario craft beers that we must try?
I can’t name 3 there are so many amazing ones! I’ll sidetrack the question with… try them all!!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a brewery?
Do it for the right reasons which its a passion for craft beer. One of the wrong reason would be to go in for the money. This industry is not a get rich quick type it requires dedication, passion, and perseverance
