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Moving forward with our new building!

This week we moved into our new combination warehouse and office space, a major move to streamline our operations. Find out in today’s post how this will move us forward.

Since we began three and a half years ago, we have tried to take a true business approach to how we run our operations. Our main focus is promoting our partner businesses: the breweries, wineries, and distilleries producing Maine made craft alcohol. This is much more than a hobby for us, this is evident by the way we have innovated and grown each year.

Two years ago we made the decision to custom vinyl wrap our buses using our distinctive green color. Working with Chris Hodges of Blue Planet Graphics, we learned that the sun could fade the bright green base color over time. So we began looking at warehouse space to keep our buses in.

We managed to find space in the the former Nappi Distributors warehouse on Presumpscot St. This building served us well, safely keeping our buses and the materials that we store safe and dry.

Inside our Presumpscot Street warehouse, filled with deep darkness and dangerous poles.

Inside our Presumpscot Street warehouse, filled with deep darkness and dangerous poles.

Just over a year ago we made another major move, leasing office space with a couple of desks from our pals at Casco Bay Sports. Their fantastic location on the third floor right above One Longfellow Square music hall made it very easy to bring people in for meetings.

“That’s quite a view you have!”

— Everybody who visited 181 State Street

That office space also made it easy to hold meetings and training sessions when our staff was under 10 people. We also brought on a part time Operations Manager, who took one of the two available desks. Now three of us were working on the two desks in the office.

Although that office and separate warehousing arrangement worked pretty well, Zach still dreamed of the day that the warehousing and offices would be co-located. So he quietly began looking to lease combination space in Greater Portland that would meet that need.

It’s now Spring of 2016. We have four buses, close to 15 folks on our team, and expansion into Boston on our company horizon. The growing importance of the huge job of Operations Manager means that Liz will soon be working in our office full time. Three people could no longer use two desks. It was now time to make that change for consolidation.

We are pleased to announce our new company headquarters, located at 1053 Forest Avenue in Portland. This 3,000 square foot 4 bay warehouse also provides us some great office space from which we can guide the company into the next chapter.

The entire building is more than we need at this time, so we have sub-leased portions of it to a few locally owned companies: Mast Construction, JP and Family, and our friend and team member Chris of Blue Planet Graphics.

Check out these pictures of our new facility:

 

This week we have been moving and trying to organize as best we can. Friday was the first day that all four buses were moved here and also the first day that we ran tours using the new facility.

We are having our whole team over on Monday night to see the space and to help us to figure out how to use it to it’s full potential. And look for us to have an open house sometime soon.

Last thing, it should be mentioned that this is just a company headquarters. No guests need to come here, no tour will begin or end here. That all still happens at our official home at the Craft Beer Cellar at 111 Commercial Street.

Cheers!

Don Littlefield is the General Manager of The Maine Brew Bus. He’s been under the weather this week, so the last thing he enjoyed was Maine Mead Works Ram Island Iced Tea. Twitter: @BeerinME