Former Craft Brew Alliance Sales Director Trent Tokos Joins Craft ‘Ohana as VP of Marketing
Trent Tokos, former VP of sales and marketing at Montana Craft Malt, has joined Craft ‘Ohana as the craft portfolio company’s VP of marketing.
In his new role, Tokos will oversee the marketing strategy for all of Craft ‘Ohana, which was formed in 2022 after Maui Brewing Company’s acquisition of Modern Times Beer. The company’s portfolio includes Maui Brewing, Modern Times, Maui Hard Seltzer and Kupu Spirits.
“Trent brings to our team a wealth of experience in brand and field marketing across multiple breweries, along with his years in sales manager that will help the Craft ‘Ohana family of brands with activations at whole and retail across our portfolio,” Craft ‘Ohana CCO Chris McJunkin said in a press release. “Trent joins a talented Craft ‘Ohana marketing team and will be tasked with building out the remainder of the marketing department to extend our brand awareness and connection with our fans.”
Tokos spent two years at Portland, Oregon-based Montana Craft Malt, where he was “an integral part of growing the company to one of the largest craft malt brands in the United States,” according to the release. Prior to the malt brand, Tokos spent 17 years at the craft portfolio company Craft Brew Alliance, working with brands including Widmer Brothers, Redhook, Wynwood Brewing and Kona Brewing Company. His resume also includes marketing work for Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) and Adidas.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to work with a great group of people on an outstanding family of beverage brands,” Tokos said in the release. “I look forward to building on the success of these award-winning coffee, beer, seltzer and spirits brands.”
Maui Brewing was the No. 43 largest craft brewery by volume in 2021, producing 62,591 barrels of beer, according to the Brewers Association (BA) in the May/June issue of the New Brewer. Modern Times ranked No. 48, producing 53,371 barrels.
BrewDog Appoints Industry Veteran Eric Franco as VP of Sales
BrewDog has hired Eric Franco as VP of U.S. sales, the Scottish craft brewery announced last week.
Franco has more than 25 years of experience within beer and cannabis, including more than 12 years in various leadership roles at Molson Coors, according to a press release. Most recently, he worked as director of U.S. business and chain development for Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Founders Brewing, helping develop the company’s chain organization.
At BrewDog, Franco will “oversee strategic planning to maintain and grow BrewDog’s sales goals,” working with a network of more than 83 wholesalers to distribute the company’s beers, ciders, and non-alcoholic (NA) beers to retailers, as well as BrewDog’s nine U.S. locations.
“We are excited about the wealth of knowledge and experience Eric brings to our team and look forward to reaching new heights for the brand under his leadership,” BrewDog USA CEO Jason Block said in the release. “His perspective will be vital as BrewDog continues to make waves in America’s brewing industry and becomes a household name.”
Franco’s appointment comes as BrewDog expands across the U.S., including opening locations in Atlanta and Las Vegas in 2022. The company’s first franchise location will open in Denver in 2023.
BrewDog operates more than 120 bars around the world, and exports to more than 60 countries, according to the release. Its first U.S. brewery, located in Columbus, Ohio, opened in 2017.
San Diego Brewers Guild Announces 2023 Board of Directors
The San Diego Brewers Guild (SDBG) announced its new board of directors last month.
Haley Smith, director of marketing at Belching Beaver Brewery has been appointed president, taking over for Rick Chapman, co-founder and president of Coronado Brewing Co. In 2022, Smith served as SDBG vice president and secretary. Burgeon Beer manager Jake Nunes, who served as guild director in 2022, has been named vice president.
LevitZacks CPA Bryan Carpenter will continue as guild treasurer — a role he’s held since 2016. White Labs’ head of education and craft hospitality Erik Fowler and Chula Vista Brewery co-founder Tim Parker each returned for their second years as directors.
Newcomers to guild leadership include Pure Project beer education manager Chris Leguizamon, who will serve as secretary, and Thorn Brewing Co. CEO Marc Martin and Resident Brewing’s John McMullen, who will both be directors.
“There is certainly no shortage of beer knowledge on our 2023 Board,” SDBG executive director Paige McWey Acers said in a press release. “Haley is a superstar within the industry and I am excited to see her lead a talented group of board members, representing all member breweries in America’s finest city and ‘The Capital of Craft.’”
“The craft beer industry is still recovering from the pandemic and there is a lot of work to do,” Smith said in the release. “But I embrace the challenge, look forward to helping all our member breweries, and make sure one of the nationwide beer spotlights remains on San Diego.”
The SDBG also announced its 2023 events, including:
- The second annual San Diego Beer Weekend (June 9-11);
- The 45th annual HomebrewCon, produced by the American Homebrewers Association (June 22-24);
- San Diego Craft Beer Con (August, specific dates TBD);
- The 9th annual Brewers Guild Golf Tournament (September 7);
- And the 15th annual San Diego Beer Week (November 3-12).
RationAle Co-Founder Appointed Executive VP of Sales
San Diego, California-based RationAle Brewing has named its co-founder Wendy Pickett executive VP of sales, in an effort to further the NA beer maker’s “sales-support strategy on the West Coast,” RationAle announced Tuesday.
“Over the past 18 months, Wendy has been my advisor, partner and calm throughout the most exhilarating and most turbulent moments I’ve experienced in building RationAle, as my co-founder, while also tending to her own career on a day-to-day basis,” RationAle co-founder and CEO Jamie Fay said in the release. “Her entrepreneurial drive, high energy and contagious passion is exactly what our team needs in this next stage of rapid growth, so it was only a matter of time before she joined us full-time, and I couldn’t be more excited to watch her crush it in this new role.”
Pickett will focus on retail chain accounts, in-store execution and “building best-in-class distributor partnerships for the brand across all existing markets as well as nationwide,” according to the release.
“I could not be more energized to be working with our incredible team of founding friends, brewery partners, brand ambassadors and avid RationAle Brewing consumers, across the country,” Pickett said in the release. “It’s an honor and privilege to be able to formally join as head of sales, working with some of the best retailers and distributors in the country to challenge society’s perception of non-alcoholic beer, and make moderation the easy – and desired – choice, for all.”
Pickett’s appointment comes as RationAle deepens its presence in its home state of California, including bringing on several new distributors in December: Musketeer Distribution, Eagle Distributing Co. and Morris Distributing in Northern California; Delta Pacific Beverage Company in Central California; and Guardian Distributors in Southern California.
Several other distributor partnerships were made last year, including BigFoot Beverages and Mallets Beverage in Oregon; Karl Strauss Brewing Company in Southern California; and Breakthru Beverage Group in Colorado.
RationAle is now available in more than 800 outlets, recording a 645% increase in dollar sales year-over-year in multi-outlet plus convenience channels, according to the release. The company’s NA beers are distributed in California, Colorado, Oregon and Nevada, including at major retailers Whole Foods Market, Total Wine, BevMo!, Nugget Market and Erewhon Market.
Anderson Valley Brewing Promotes Roxanne Barnes to VP of Sales
Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) has promoted “longtime employee” Roxanne Barnes to VP of sales.
Barnes has spent more than a decade at the Boonville, California-based brewery, serving as western states manager, making her one of AVBC’s “longest-running employees,” according to a press release. In her new role, Barnes will work directly with AVBC president and CEO Kevin McGee, “overseeing all national sales for current and new counts” and “managing the brewery’s national sales team across its 40-state distribution footprint.”
“Roxanne has been instrumental in the success of AVBC for more than a decade,” McGee said in the release. “During her many years managing the western U.S. markets, Roxanne assisted in building and maintaining key relationships in our home and neighboring states. Her deep knowledge of the AVBC brand, as well as her seasoned experience in craft beer, are what we need to help take AVBC to the next level.”