Big Sky
The BSBC was founded in Missoula, Montana, in 1993, by Neal Leathers and Bjorn Nabozney. BSBC quickly grew as a successful brewery. As the company's sales expanded, the owners asked the Montana Business Capital Corporation (MBCC) to assist them in trying to acquire capital for developing in-house bottling capabilities through the USDA Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program. Tom Swenson is the president of MBCC. BSBC's first USDA application was turned down, and it needed to reapply before new census data was approved and the company no longer would qualify for the USDA program. BSBC's four-page summary business plan that was submitted with the USDA application was not adequate, and the founders were trying to determine what should be included in the new one.Until March 1, 2000, BSBC only sold its beer in kegs, and it was projected that its expected bottled sales would account for up to 80% of its future earnings. In March, 2001, BSBC signed with Portland Brewing Company (PBC) to bottle its beer. BSBC's products are in high demand, and it had to start turning down orders from some largest retail chains such as Costco. BSBC's beer sales come from four brands: Moose Drool Brown Ale, Scape Goat Pale Ale, Powder Hound Winter Ale, and Slow Elk Oatmeal Stout. Moose Drool accounts for 80% of BSBC's total sales. BSBC also sells its beer-related merchandise. BSBC's main competitors are Bayern (Missoula, Montana), Deschutes (Bend, Oregon), and New Belgium (Boulder, Colorado). Others include Redhook, Pyramid, and Full Sail. New Belgium is the largest of the seven competitors. Among its competitors, BSBC is the only one that does not bottle in-house. BSBC's products are normally priced at a level similar to those of Deschutes and New Belgium (a six-pack r ...