Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Brewersassociation.org has the news about New Belgium Brewing’s CEO Kim Jordan keynoting the March Craft Brewers conference, the industry’s largest gathering with about 6,000 folks heading to Washington, D.C.:
Jordan presented the keynote at CBC in New Orleans in 2003, where she famously called for craft brewers to aspire to reach 10 percent of all U.S. beers sales. A decade later, Jordan will reprise her role to present an overview of the industry, how far small and independent craft brewers have come, her vision for the future of the craft brewing community and how her forecast fared. In 2011, the latest full year for which the Brewers Association has published data, craft brewing sales share was at 9.1% by dollars and 5.7% by volume, increasing more than half a point per year since 2003.
Jordan has cultivated her passion for social work, the environment and community to create one of the most successful and respected craft breweries in America. Under Jordan’s leadership, New Belgium has grown to the third largest craft brewery in the country. She negotiated New Belgium’s transition to wind-powered electricity and has overseen the implementation of Colorado’s largest private solar array at the Fort Collins facility. Leveraging her expertise as a leader in sustainability, Jordan will also outline the key role craft brewers have in changing the relationship between the craft brewing community and the planet.
“The timing for a conversation about sustainability could not be better, as the Brewers Association plans to release sustainability manuals relating to energy, solid waste and water at the conference,” added Gatza. “Sustainability issues are at the forefront of New Belgium’s decision process. No leader in beer can deliver the message of sustainability as eloquently and credibly as Kim.”
