Beer entrepreneurs tell all to business development group

Local Huntington beer entrepreneurs, Drew Hetzer and Jeff McKay, gave members of West Virginia’s economic development community lots of food for thought yesterday.

Hetzer and McKay participated in a panel discussion focusing on the craft brewing industry as part of the West Virginia Economic Development Council’s annual conference, which took place in Huntington. Hetzer is founder/owner of The Peddler craft brewery, while McKay operates Summit Beer Station (craft beer bar) and Apex Beverage Co. (craft beer store).

The event was attended by nearly 200 state and local government economic development professionals and related private-sector business people from across West Virginia. The panel discussion was moderated by Brilliant Stream’s Charles Bockway.

Positives and negatives explained

Conference attendees heard about both the positive progress and the continuing challenges of developing and operating craft-beer-focused businesses in West Virginia.

On the positive side, panelists highlighted the new Private Outdoor Designated Area (PODA) legislation, adopted by the WV Legislature this year, which they believe will help boost craft beverage-related businesses in towns and cities that set up a PODA.

A Private Outdoor Designated Area is public property, such as sidewalks and green space, that has been identified in a municipal ordinance as areas where the outdoor consumption of liquor, wine, and beer is allowed. Inside a PODA, people may buy an alcoholic beverage from a participating retailer in a special PODA cup and then take that beverage outside and walk to other participating businesses in the PODA zone. Without a PODA in place, most municipalities prohibit open alcohol containers on city sidewalks and many other public areas. Huntington is the first city in the state to set up a PODA.

More regulatory reform needed

While the state’s craft brewers and related beer-focused businesses have certainly made much progress in legislation over the past two decades, some hurdles to industry growth remain. These hurdles are viewed as creating business operational difficulties and issues for licensees. They’re also seen as negative factors when it comes to attracting needed investment in the industry.

Beyond legislative needs, McKay identified other issues at the regulatory agency level, things that add unnecessary complications to doing beverage alcohol business in West Virginia. Both Hetzer and McKay told of easier, more efficient regulatory structures in neighboring Kentucky and Ohio. Some of the mentioned difficulties were said to be rooted more in arbitrary agency-level practices and attitudes, rather than anything required in actual statutes.

Conference attendees received a clear message that the state’s brewers and other beer businesses are making progress, but that regulation still has a way to go to become craft beer business friendly.

Developers attend Peddler beer reception

Following the panel discussion, conference attendees were invited over to a special beer and food reception in the upstairs event space over The Peddler brewery. McKay and Hetzer continued their conversations with the economic developers, and a healthy dialog continued for the next two hours. Four beers made by The Peddler head brewer Jay Fox were featured at the event.

Read more about Drew and Jeff’s presentation in this article in the Huntington Herald Dispatch.