2016 Small Business ROCK STAR: Creature Comforts

Today marks the start of Georgia Small Business Week, and we are excited to announce the 2016 Small Business ROCK STARS!

  • Creature Comforts Brewing Company, Athens-Clarke County
  • D&J Plastics, Quitman County
  • Reformation Brewery, Cherokee County
  • IACT Health, Muscogee County
  • ViziTech USA, Putnam County

Every year, the Small Business ROCK STARS honor a few of Georgia's stand-out small businesses that have shown outstanding leadership, innovation and growth over 12 months. This week, we will highlight each of the five winners in a featured blog post—giving you an inside look at the top small businesses in the state.

ROCK STAR: CREATURE COMFORTS BREWING COMPANY- 1200px

As one of the top 10 new breweries in America (2014) and one of the top 15 to watch in 2015, it's no surprise that Creature Comforts Brewing Company is one of our ROCK STARS this year. The Athens-based craft brewing company focuses on the manufacturing, marketing and selling of finely-balanced, artisanal craft beer, and has risen to the top of the industry since its opening in 2014.

'We have focused exclusively on our beer and quality,' said Chris Herron, found and CEO of Creature Comforts. 'We have avoided many traditional marketing mediums, preferring to focus on garnering industry respect through industry specific events and promotions, and traveling around the country attending festivals and building buzz.'

Creature Comforts has become a top attraction in Athens since its inception in 2014, gathering thousands of visitors every week. Starting with just 5 personnel, the brewery has now grown to employ 20 full-time and 25 part-time employees, and they went on to produce nearly 10,000 barrels of beer in 2015.

Adding to its accolades, it is the only Georgia brewery to ever win a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the American Style Brett Beer category and crack the top 200 beers list by Beer Advocate. It's also one of the first Southeastern breweries to produce a year-round sour beer in six-pack cans.

'The team of people we've worked with have been absolutely incredible,' said Chris. 'We took advantage of the Georgia Cities Foundation and later looked to the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) to support our expansion.'

Helping small businesses like Creature Comforts is what GDEcD all about, and we look forward to seeing more of the tremendous growth this brewery will undoubtedly have this year.

You can find Creature Comforts on social!

 

Georgia Small Business Week is Feb. 15-19, 2016. Use #GASmallBiz this week to talk up your favorite small companies across the state!

For more information on small businesses in Georgia and how you can start or grow your own, visit Georgia.org/Small-Business.