ACG NextGen Meeting for Young Professionals in S.A. on 12/18/18

Chad grew up in the Midwest and is a graduate of the University of Illinois.  In 1988, Chad met his wife, Shelly, also a University of Illinois graduate, while she was attending Baylor College of Medicine on an Air Force scholarship.  When she graduated in 1991, the Air Force moved them to San Antonio.  Chad started Aspen Beverage 25 years ago this past March.  In order to convince his pregnant wife that starting a new business was a good idea, he proposed he would start the company with $1,000.00 and promised he would never put the family at risk by borrowing money.  From humble beginnings in the back of a warehouse over two decades ago, the core values of Aspen Beverage were established early and continue today. Treat people the way you would like to be treated, create high quality and innovative products, listen carefully to your customer, deliver superior service, and provide exceptional value.  Like many founders, Chad McNair began extracting and bottling his products by hand, then selling the elixir to coffee shops and grocery stores in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Innovation led to excitement when the coffee category took off around cold brew. The years of cultivating customer relationships, global branding, and retail put Aspen in position to take advantage of market growth.  Chad sold Aspen Beverage last June to Finlays, based in London.  Chad remains as CEO for a little while longer and a member of the Board of Aspen Beverage.  Today, Aspen Beverage is a market leader in Cold Brew Coffee and Liquid Coffee Concentrates.