Intro: Sam Matheny

[High_Wine_Guy]

I would just like to start out by saying thank you to Bill and everyone else involved with publishing American Distiller and the creation and up keep of this forum. I look forward to this becoming an extensive and valuable source of information for all of us currently involved with or looking to become involved with the distilling industry.

Okay with that out of the way a little bit about me:

As mentioned my name is Sam Matheny and I currently reside in St. Clairsville, Ohio (eastern part of the state about 50 mile west of Pittsburgh, PA). Unfortunately my current occupation has nothing to do with brewing, distilling, or the beverage industry but I’m hoping to change this. I am the Senior Marketing Manager for mid sized publicly traded company that develops unique and secure products and toners for the printing industry. There are numerous similarities in the way that we market and distribute our products utilizing a distributor and or reseller channel.

If this starts to sound a little like a cover letter for a resume I guess in some ways that it is, please email me if you’re looking for a hard-working, self-starter with a strong marketing/sales background.

With not being directly employed in the industry I guess that you could say that my interest in it is more of a passion/obsession at this point. I’ve spent the last several years learning everything possible regarding the distillation process and the marketing and sales channels that go along with it. I have stacks of books, industry magazines and articles related to artesian distilling (I would like to the word craft I but someone beat me to that trademark) and have bugged Bill numerous times over the last year as I’ve worked on my own business plan for an artesian distillery.

I am 100% committed to finding an entry point for myself into the industry in 2008.

Yes you did read correctly I have put together an extensive business plan for an artesian distillery. With my limited hands on experience running a full sized still I’m very nervous about the idea of quitting my perfectly good (but unfulfilling) day job and stake my future on it, yet. The development of my business plan has been more of a personal challenge for me to think about every detail and requirement of a small distiller. I’ve had to research information regarding every aspect from equipment to state controlled distribution channels and federal regulations governing all of it. This and several years of hands on small scale distillation (yes completely licensed and legal) have really cemented that this is where my true passion resides.

In closing, I’m sure that I’ll have more questions then answers and I look forward to utilizing this powerful information tool regularly.

Best regards,

Sam Matheny