3Cross Brewing Co. becomes cooperative
Sam Bonacci
Dave Howland's approach to his brewery 3Cross is more small business than big brewing.
Worcester beermaker 3Cross Brewing Co. is now a cooperative owned by its three employees and will soon make an offer to customers to buy a stake in the co-op, the brewery announced Tuesday.
The brewery, now known as the 3Cross Fermentation Cooperative, said it is the first community-owned brewery in Massachsuetts. The name change indicates a business shift to begin offering a “wider variety” of fermented products.
“Drawing inspiration from the original cooperative brewery in the United States, Black Star Co-op in Austin, Texas, 3cross will be owned both by its workers and by its customers,” the brewery said in a press release announcing the change to its corporate structure.
The brewery said it will join other local Worcester cooperatives, like Future Focus Media, WorX Printing and WooRides.
Current employees - founder Dave Howland, Jessica Howland and taproom manager Heather Odell are its first worker-owners, but in a kickoff event coinciding with the New Economy Summit at Worcester State University on Jan. 26, the brewery will begin offering consumer memberships for a lifetime price of $150.
Membership grants voting power on business direction, a dividend in years when the business makes a profit and some soon-to-be-announced members-only features.
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