Boulevard Brewing Co. wins Chamber Small Business of the Year ...

By JOYCE SMITH

The Kansas City Star

By JOYCE SMITH The Kansas City Star

Updated: 2012-05-23T18:06:05Z

Photo by Matthew Collins/Special

2008 file photo--Boulevard Brewing Co. turns 21.

Boulevard Brewing Co. was named the 2012 Small Business of the Year today by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

About 400 people attended the 26th annual small business luncheon at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. The celebration recognizes the importance of small businesses to our local and regional economy.Criteria for the award includes growth in sales and number of employees, good employee relations and community service. Boulevard received the Mr. K Award, named after noted entrepreneur Ewing Kauffman.John McDonald founded Boulevard Brewing in late 1989, delivering his first keg of Pale Ale in the back of his pickup truck to a local restaurant. His mission: to produce fresh, flavorful beers with the best ingredients and techniques.The Brewers Association now ranks Boulevard as the 10th largest craft-beer brewery in the U.S. and its beers are sold in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Massachusetts with partial distribution in Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Texas, and Utah.

To reach Joyce Smith, call 816-234-4692 or send email to jsmith@kcstar.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter at JoyceKC.

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