Steamworks boosts wholesale revenue

Steamworks Brewing Co. has hired Mike Simmons to streamline production at the brewery's Bayfield plant.

Since Simmons started Jan. 1, Steamworks has increased revenues on the wholesale side of the operation by nearly 40 percent, and in March the Bayfield brewery reached capacity for the first time since its opening in 2005, according to a news release.

"I just make sure to maximize the information given to me to stay on schedule, meet orders, adhere to budgets and keep profitable margins," Simmons said. "When you walk into the brewery now, you’ll see boards everywhere with schedules and charts of what we’re doing. We’re a little bit more structured now."

Interestingly, Simmons comes from a non-brewing background, having worked previously for corporations such as IGT of Reno, Nev., and J.T. Baker, Inc., a division of Procter & Gamble.