California Business - Spring 2014 - San Diego - 9

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the chapmans currently work with about 20 wholesale
distributors and are in various stages of negotiating with
10 more.
"but we can't let the expansion opportunities take our
eye off the ball, which is the quality of our products," Rick
chapman says. "In our space, if you have quality products
and you offer a great variety to your consumers, you'll
develop the brand loyalty that ultimately allows you to expand. Without the product and the brand loyalty, nobody
will care where you expand to."
a trusted resource
the chapmans were introduced to california bank and
trust, and their banker, Jonathan Dale, over a year ago
through a mutual business acquaintance. It didn't take
long for both sides to realize the relationship was a good
fit. Dale was passionate about the craft beer industry in
san Diego, and the chapmans needed a bank that would
strive to understand the unique needs of their business.
"I love the industry," Dale says. "I love craft beer as an
art, and it is a badge of pride for me, being a third-generation san Diegan. I think Ron and Rick saw how serious
I was, and how serious the bank was, about helping them
reach their goals, and the whole thing came together very
quickly. It was a 45-day process from the introduction to
finalizing the arrangements."
coronado brewing officially became a cb&t customer
in the fourth quarter of 2012.
the chapmans learned early on that cb&t took an
interest in their company that went beyond lines on a
spreadsheet. Dale - and the rest of the bank's staff - saw
coronado brewing as a living, breathing business entity
and an asset to the san Diego community.
"they took the time to understand our business model," Rick chapman says. "and just as important as that,
they took the time to understand our expansion model
and what we needed in terms of resources, over time, to
reach our goals."
that willingness to get to know the chapmans and
their business gave Dale and the cb&t team a level of
familiarity that many banks don't achieve with their commercial clients.
"a lot of banking relationships are very formal and, at
times, inflexible," Rick chapman says. "but the flexibility
of california bank & trust has been superior. they're
willing and able to react as we hit different thresholds. If
we discover that we need to expand in a slightly different
direction or grow in a new area, they're able to help."
apart from its standing as a major player in the san Diego craft beer market, what attracted cb&t to coronado
brewing was the business savvy of the chapman brothers.

Coronado BrewinG reCeiVes toP honors
Coronado Brewing Co. is the reigning champion of all mid-sized
brewers in the world.
The Southern California company received the Champion
Brewery/Champion Brewmaster Award, naming it the best of
all mid-sized brewers, classified as those that brew 15,000 to
6 million barrels per year.
In addition to receiving one of the most prestigious awards in craft
brewing, the brewer earned a gold medal for its Islander IPA and a
silver for Old Scallywag, an English barleywine-style beer.
A panel of 219 judges from 31 countries worked in teams to
conduct blind tasting evaluations of the beers and determine the
awards, which were presented at the Craft Brewers Conference
& BrewExpo America in Denver in April.

any beer enthusiast can concoct a homemade brew and
sell it with the proper licensing. however, it takes an entrepreneurial vision to turn a brewery into what coronado
brewing has become.
"We wanted to work with them because they're very
prudent in their business strategy," Dale says. "they're
well branded, and as one of the pioneers of the industry
here, they have very deep relationships with the other
longstanding breweries in town."
that staying power, combined with a blend of transparency and integrity, has built a strong foundation for
the relationship and will factor heavily in the continued
strength of the relationship moving forward.
"I don't see any reason to change course with our
banking," Ron chapman says. "We're on a good path now,
and california bank & trust can take us to a level that will
satisfy our needs. they see beyond our immediate needs
and want to help us grow to realize the full potential of
the business as a top craft beer distributor on a regional,
national and international basis."
Dale, too, looks forward to a continuing relationship.
"It's rare that you meet a company that knows exactly
what it wants and how to get there," Dale says. "they're
very focused on what they want to be, and that's the type
of company we want to help." *
California Business * 9

California Business - Spring 2014 - San Diego

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