CRAFT Helps Veteran Entrepreneurs Enter Beer and Spirits Industry

A lot of people in the military have some form of knowledge when it comes to brewing alcohol or crafting coffee. However, learning how to make that habit viable is another factor altogether.

A new nonprofit organization is trying to make that process easier for veterans by helping them form connections, reach customers and understand an industry that can be difficult for newcomers to enter.

The Coalition to Represent American Flavor & Tradition, known as CRAFT, supports veteran-owned, veteran-founded businesses that are parallel with military-friendly entrepreneurs across the beverage industry. The nonprofit launched a little under a year ago and works with 120 originations. C.R.A.F.T. President Michael Waskewich told Spectrum News.

The organization’s work extends across brewing, distilling and other areas of the market where veteran entrepreneurs may have a promising product but lack the connections necessary to place it in front of distributors and consumers.

Niche Industry to Succeed In

Producing a quality alcohol-related beverage does not automatically translate to a successful company that rakes in money. Licensing, distribution, marketing, and other regulations and factors make governing this field a hard start. Veterans who try to break into the industry can find this overwhelming.

Waskewich said the industry can be especially difficult to enter without specialized guidance. C.R.A.F.T. attempts to provide that support while introducing participating businesses to new customers and potential industry partners.

This network could be utilized by veterans who have built in leadership skills and strong business instincts but really don’t understand the navigation process in the alcohol production or distribution sector.

C.R.A.F.T brings businesses, distributors, and consumers into the same space as entrepreneurs to set them up for success.

Bringing Opportunities to These Companies

One company benefiting from those connections is Tropicana Craft Distilling Group, led by CEO Joe Faino. Faino is not a veteran, but military service runs through his family. His father, grandfather, father-in-law and brother, Tom Dow, all served in the armed forces.

After having more than a decade in the industry and participating in events, he was surprised that he had never participated in one that was specifically centered around veterans, he told Spectrum News.

Through CRAFT, the company was able to have access to opportunities to place their product with the proper distributor and provide samples for those that wanted to try them. Those kinds of opportunities really can help open the doors for businesses and build up their profile.

C.R.A.F.T.’s definition of eligible participants includes more than businesses owned directly by veterans. Its work also encompasses veteran-founded and veteran-allied companies, potentially widening the network available to former service members seeking employment, mentorship or business opportunities.

In Faino’s case, these events allow him to also support the military community and give back to the community that his relatives were a part of.

Figuring Life Out After Leaving the Service

An Army Veteran, first name Dow, experienced something that many veterans go through when they leave the service, going from military service to civilian employment. He credited Faino for helping him determine those next steps after leaving the Army. That experience has influenced how the company approaches other recently hired veterans.

“They don’t teach us when we’re in the Army what we’re going to do in the afterlife,” Dow told Spectrum News, using “afterlife” to describe the civilian world.

Military service teaches troops many things. It gives them the skills to lead teams, understand and head project management squads, and solve problems under pressure. These abilities are very hard to put on paper or translate into a business plan sometimes.

A veteran may leave the military with years of practical leadership experience but little familiarity with finding investors, negotiating with distributors or marketing a consumer product. Industry-specific organizations can help bridge that divide.

Veterans who are interested in the brewing or distilling industry can use CRAFT to succeed. The nonprofit allows them to build connections that allow them to understand entrepreneurship and utilize their military service skills.

A Veteran Beverage Network

C.R.A.F.T. is putting that network on display through Frontline Tastings, an event featuring veteran entrepreneurs. The tasting coincides with the Military Influencer Conference, which ran last week. Events of that kind give smaller companies an opportunity to place their products directly before consumers while meeting people who could help them reach a larger market.

This agency can introduce veterans to a possible career that they didn’t know about for their post-military service. In conventional employment agencies, brewing and distilling jobs don’t usually pop up. Jobs in marketing, hospitality, logistics, and other support roles can be seen in this sector.

CRAFT has a goal that goes beyond simple promotion for brands or beers. They want to create a network that allows veteran entrepreneurs and veteran-aligned companies, so they have each other for support.

Less than a year after its creation, the nonprofit’s network already includes 120 organizations. Its continued growth could give more veterans a clearer path from an initial idea to a product that reaches customers.

For veteran companies that want to break into the brewing and distilling industry, the path is easier now that CRAFT is around to help them out.