Ownership.

Which brings us to ownership

As this tasty amber named Fat Tire grew in popularity, Jeff and Kim knew they’d need help. Enter Brian Callahan, an aspiring brewer and New Belgium’s first employee-owner. By giving Brian a vested interest in the company, Jeff and Kim did, “what seemed like the right thing to do.”

And all the employee owners today thank them for doing what came naturally.

Ownership is now awarded at one year of employment. And just when you think it can’t get any better, they roll in your very own one-year anniversary cruiser bike. It’s pure bliss.

It’s my company

If it were your company, what would you do? Look for ways to be less wasteful, be more efficient, recycle and reuse? Yep. It’s infectious. Once you start thinking of ways to make your company better, you can’t stop.

In 1998, a unanimous vote by employee owners switched New Belgium to wind power. The first wind powered brewery in the United States, thank you very much.

And, like all responsible business owners, it’s important to know your bottomline, barrels, and books. Meet New Belgium’s practice of open-book management: a policy of fiscal transparency throughout the company that encourages a community of trust and mutual responsibility.

It’s something good. All agreed.