Maui Brewing Co. Owners Receive State Award

Kihei, Hawaii (April 11, 2017) – Maui Brewing Company is privileged to announce the U.S. Small Business Administration has selected Maui Brewing Company’s Founders, Garrett Marrero and Melanie Oxley, as the "2017 Small Business Person(s) of the Year for the State of Hawaii".

Community and business leaders will gather on May 4th for the formal awards ceremony in Honolulu. The awards celebrate successful entrepreneurs across the state. Nominees are selected for their substantiated history, growth in the number of employees, increase in sales, innovativeness of products or services offered, response to adversity, and evidence of contributions to aid the community.

Chief Operating Officer, Melanie Oxley shared, "It is an honor to be nominated by Bank of Hawaii for such an award, and chosen by the SBA. We share this award with our entire MBC team and community as the employees are what makes our company so strong, and the community is what supports us."

The two have remained steadfast in maintaining 100% of their craft beer production locally, sourcing local ingredients when possible, while striving to become completely energy independent by year-end 2017. MBC has expanded its manufacturing capacity to 100,000 barrels, enabling distribution to grow to over 20 states and 10 countries. The international exposure promotes the aloha spirit, encouraging foreigners to visit our islands. The owners are champions of the craft beer industry, leading the way for changing legislation to benefit all local distilleries. The brand continues to expand with the opening of a Maui Brewing Company restaurant in Waikiki, the construction of a restaurant at the production facility in Kihei scheduled to open in the Fall 2017, and another Oahu restaurant to be located in Kailua in 2018.

Garrett and Melanie have been community-minded from the time they moved to Maui, sponsoring numerous charitable events, and providing monetary donations derived from a percentage of their food and beverage sales at their facilities. They are the chief organizers and founders of the Maui Brewer’s Festival held at and benefitting the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, now in its 9th year.

Maui Brewing Company is a fiercely local company and has remained steadfast regarding local production. The MBC team are stewards of their communities and the ‘aina, and curators of the craft beer way of life. Their beers have been recognized worldwide for quality and innovation. For more information, visit MauiBrewing.com or follow @MauiBrewingCo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.