IN FOCUS
Downtown Hamilton has proven itself to be a successful small business environment
S
tarting up may be the first part of building a business, but support from the community is the strongest foundation. Since the mid-20th century, industry in Hamilton has evolved to reflect the changing needs of its community, as well as trends in the region. Downtown Hamilton, whose industrial landscape was once defined by paper production and machinery, is home today to a growing network of thriving small businesses, including LemonGrenade and Municipal Brew Works.
10 Plan Hamilton
MUNICIPAL BREW WORKS
M
unicipal Brew Works has thrived in Hamilton for more than five years by following three key principles: make great beer, establish strong community roots, and educate people about great beer. When you step inside the Municipal Brew Works taproom in the former City of Hamilton Municipal Building at 20 High Street, it becomes evident that all three principles must act in harmony for Municipal Brew Works to succeed. Municipal Brew Works is owned and managed by a team of five individuals:
Sean Willingham, Mark Jackson, Aaron Holtz, Dave Frey, and Jim Goodman. Jim, the CEO, Founder, Assistant Brewer, and Cicerone (“A Cicerone is to beer what a sommelier is to wine”), had lived in Hamilton for only a year when he began home-brewing beer in 1996. He immediately fell in love with the process and became affectionately known as “the biggest beer nerd” his friends and family know. Today, Municipal Brew Works operates as a 15-barrel brewhouse that has produced 30 different styles of beer and counting. Since its inception,
