SBA names Bear Republic top NorCal small business

HEALDSBURG — Bear Republic Brewing Company has been named the 2015 Small Business of the Year for the U.S. Small Business Administration's San Francisco District, which includes the San Francisco Bay Area and portions of Northern California.

'Bear Republic Brewing Company is truly the whole package,' said Jim Baird of Walnut Creek-based Bay Area Development Company, the company's lender under SBA's 504 program. 'This family business has totally awesome products, has grown to over 150 employees, and has helped their local community in so many areas from smart environmental programs to community involvement at every level. We congratulate them on this award which is so well deserved.'

Two generations of the Norgrove family opened Bear Republic Brewing Company in 1996, in Healdsburg. By 2008, the company had more than 30 employees and more orders than they could fill.

After securing a SBA loan, the Norgroves purchased a 14,136-square-foot facility in Cloverdale, which allowed the brewery to increase its capacity by more than 400 percent. Bear Republic expanded distribution into 35 states and seven countries and locally created more than 100 new jobs.

Today, Bear Republic is ranked the 36th largest craft brewery in the U.S., and its Racer 5 brew is said to has won more medals than any IPA in the country.

Originally published April 14, 2015, 3:03 p.m.