We recently connected with Andrew & Lauren Marburger and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew & Lauren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

We started Lockport in 2016 with three employees and help from a lot of family and friends. Opening our brewery in our small, rural hometown, we were not sure how well our business would be received by the community, but we sensed the demand for craft beer and what we had to offer was there. We quickly learned that to be true, and began adding more staff to meet the demands of our taproom. In the beginning, we had to push to open our doors quickly, and our interview process was pretty rudimentary. We learned a lot of things over the years, but most importantly we have learned to hire based on attitude and the fit of our culture, not for how much knowledge or experience someone has. We can teach someone who is positive and eager everything they need to know to be successful at Lockport, but it’s very difficult for someone with a bad attitude to fit in our mix. We’re a close group here, and when someone doesn’t fit with our culture, they usually aren’t here too long.

Andrew & Lauren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Lockport was Tuscarawas County’s first brewery in over 65 years, specializing in locally-made craft brews, food, and other specials. Our mission is to use our passion for craft beer to make our corner of the world a better place. We aim to create experiences that bring people together, build opportunities for our crew, support our local community, and protect the environment.

The name “Lockport” comes from the “Old Lockport Lager”, brewed by the local New Philadelphia Brewing Company before prohibition. We adopted the name to honor the rich brewing history of the area, with an ode to the locks and canals that pass through our communities.

Andrew cut his teeth home brewing before becoming an assistant brewer at Millersburg Brewing Company under Brewmaster Marty Lindon. After years of planning, the sale of our house, and help from some family and friends, the dream of owning our own brewery became a reality in November 2016.

Quickly after opening, we realized we were undersized for the demand. We added tanks, but by July 2018 we purchased a defunct across the street, located on Wilkshire Golf Course, and began renovations. That same year, Gateway American-Style Cream Ale won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

Renovations to our new facility were completed in July 2019, and we opened with sixteen taps and an expanded food menu. Since that time, we have expanded our outdoor seating areas with a large beer garden, regularly hosting event such as volleyball and cornhole leagues.

Our philosophy is that good, quality beer and food are a must, and the setting to enjoy them in must be comfortable. What sets us apart is our staff that helps create a fun and dynamic experience for the customer, ensuring they have good beer, good food, and a good time.

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What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Once we knew we wanted to open a brewery, we had to decide where we wanted that to be, and we looked at neighboring cities that had higher populations than Bolivar. In the end, we decided to take the chance and open in our hometown. We thought we had something beneficial to offer, and if we were going to try and be a difference maker in the community we operated in, we wanted it to be here. We think that helped build the reputation of Lockport from the beginning – some of our customers knew us, they knew our families, and they wanted to help support us.

Andrew was fortunate enough to be hired as a brewer at Millersburg Brewing Company, where he was able to learn the commercial side of making beer from a Marty Lindon, a very well-respected brewer in the beer community. This experience was invaluable, and Andrew developed a deep sense of attention to detail, and a commitment to ensuring quality trumps everything else. Our beers have won some medals at the Ohio Craft Brewers Cup, and Gateway took a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival, which we feel has helped build our reputation for quality beer.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It’s likely a common thread among most businesses, but leading Lockport through the challenges presented from COVID really tested our resilience. We had just opened our new taproom with a full food menu in August 2019, and in March 2020 we were all shut down. This felt like a death sentence for a business that relies on people coming through the doors and gathering together to enjoy your products, but we were able to pull together with our team and do we what we had to in order to survive. We threw open our garage door and began selling to-go crowlers and take and bake pizzas, and the community came out in droves to make sure we got through it. We even had people saying they took a road trip and traveled for hours to grab some beers. Once restaurants were able to open again, there were still ever-changing rules and restrictions, and we had to be nimble enough to pivot on a daily basis. Our team showed amazing resilience as we navigated these waters, and we came out stronger on the other side, as a company and as a team.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lockportbeer.com
• Instagram: lockportbrewery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lockportbeer