Q&A with Nikos Ridge of the Ninkasi Brewing Company
On May 8th the Student Advisory Board headed over to Ninkasi Brewing Company here in Eugene, OR to find out more about the business of brewing in Eugene, OR with owner Nikos Ridge. Here’s what we found out...
Q: What did your career path look like and how did you come to own Ninkasi Brewing?
A: I grew up in Eugene, OR and started out in the financial industry and I met Jamie (business partner) Jamie is more of the brewing side and I am the business side.
Q: How did your major in college or education lead you to this career?
A: I got my degree in economics and started doing something inside the financial industry. After I met Jamie he told me Eugene would be a good community and area to start up a brewing company.
Q: What risks did you take early on in your career that helped lead you to where you are today?
A: I guess starting out in a competitive industry could be risky and also starting out in Eugene. However, it was good because it provides good accessibility and a good local community.
Q: Is your industry being impacted with our economic recession? If so, how?
A: We have not really been impacted by the economy. We have actually had strong growth and there have been incentives for small businesses. We have 24 employees that are in all different facets of the business from brewery production to regional representatives. Right now we sell about 800 kegs a week, which is the equivalent to 5600 cases. Also a neat thing is that the excess barley that is used for production is given to cattle farmers here in the valley.
Q: What would you tell someone that would be interested in working in your company?
A: Get experience and give it time because years ago I didn’t know I would own a brewery. Also, make yourself available and take initiative. Finally, word of mouth is one of the best ways to market yourself to a business and don’t be afraid to start at different areas of a business then you thought you would.
Q: What makes a good employee in your unique job market and at your specific company?
A: Flexibility. This is because we’re working in a production environment and we all delegate to different areas inside the business. Also, the production side is very important but also repetitive such as bottling so employees have to be aware of that.
Q: What kind of background do your employees have? (Employment and educational)
A: Many of the employees previously have worked in the beverage and wine industries for many years. Some employees have been brewing for 14 years, which is major brewing experience. Then you have people like Jamie my business partner that is a brew master, which is at the top of the pyramid. Our production manager worked his way up from the bottom to the top.
Q: What is your most popular beer?
- Our IPA beer, which makes up about 50% of our sales.
