Austin, TX – Respected beverage industry veteran Brad McKeever has been named Vice President of Sales for Austin Eastciders effective immediately. McKeever will have full responsibility for all sales activities of the brand and will report to CEO Johnny Heiselberg. With the addition of McKeever to the Austin Eastciders team, Co-Founder, Board Member, and President Mark King, who has been fulfilling the sales role in addition to his management tasks, will now be able to wholly focus on driving the company’s expansion plans to further the goal of becoming the best selling craft cider in America.
King laid the foundation for Austin Eastciders to be a high-growth and beloved craft cider brand. As co-founder, King’s early work in 2013 included the import of the first finished ferments from Europe, and he has since helped navigate the company to its current sales rate as the #1 selling cider in Austin and #2 cider in Texas. In King’s elevated role with the company he will lead planning for a mindful growth strategy, extending Austin Eastciders 12-state reach to new markets in a sustainable and profitable manner. King will also be charged with the development of the company’s tasting room, which is targeted to open in East Austin in the summer of 2017.
With over thirty years of experience in the beer industry, McKeever was most recently the Regional Vice President of the Sun Belt region (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) at Pabst Brewing Company, where he led sales and profit growth initiatives for the company’s brand portfolio in the 6-state division. He began at Pabst in 2012 as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Texas, moved on to become the General Manager of the Texas division, and also served as the General Manager for the Sun Belt division at Pabst. Prior to his work at Pabst, McKeever worked at Anheuser-Busch for 20 years where he started his career working up and down the streets in New York City. McKeever held several positions at Anheuser-Busch including Senior Retail Sales Director during his career with the company. McKeever brings his vast experience in the industry to Austin Eastciders at an ideal time as the brand sets the stage for expansion.
“We have found the perfect person to lead our sales efforts in Brad McKeever as few people know our core markets and organizational growth needs as well as he does,” said CEO Johnny Heiselberg. “Brad will add tremendous bandwidth to our talented team as we strive to share the taste of our Texas cider on a greater scale and grow the brand across Texas, the East Coast, and beyond.”
After opening in East Austin in 2013, Austin Eastciders expanded to an additional 33,000 square foot cidery in Southeast Austin at 4007 Commercial Center Drive on July 1, 2016. The cidery is a multi-purpose facility with large production and administrative areas to accommodate the company’s team of 56 employees. Austin Eastciders is one of the few cider makers in the United States using bittersweet cider apples to produce its beloved line of ciders, which includes Austin Eastciders Original Dry Cider, Austin Eastciders Texas Honey, Austin Eastciders Hopped Cider, and Austin Eastciders Pineapple Cider. All widely distributed Austin Eastciders products are 5% ABV and are available by draft and in 6-pack and 12-packs of 12 oz. cans.
For more information on the Austin Eastciders cidery, the Austin Eastciders team, or Austin Eastciders products, please find Austin Eastciders on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram under @Eastciders or visit austineastciders.com.
About Austin Eastciders:
With the inclusive rallying-cry, “Cider Y’all” Austin Eastciders produces craft ciders in Austin, Texas, using all-natural ingredients and bittersweet apples to create authentic traditionally inspired examples of ‘The Original Drink of America.’ Founded in 2013, Austin Eastciders has four cider varieties, including Austin Eastciders Original Dry Cider, Austin Eastciders Texas Honey, Austin Eastciders Hopped Cider, and Austin Eastciders Pineapple Cider. Austin Eastciders products are available in reputable retailers, including HEB, Target and Whole Foods, and bars and restaurants throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Philadelphia, New York and other markets across the Mid-Atlantic. Austin Eastciders products are 5% ABV and are available in 6-pack and 12-pack 12oz cans and by draft. In all of their current markets Austin Eastciders also hosts several “tap takeover” events each month, where fans can sample limited release offerings and special tasting experiences. For the latest on Austin Eastciders, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram under @Eastciders or visit austineastciders.com.