Alumnus Brews Up Booming Businesses

Alumnus Paul Benner (Left) and partner Justin Carson. Photo courtesy of Crain's Cleveland.

"Shop local" has become a leading movement in and around the city of Cleveland. Within the last few years local farms, clothing companies, bakeries and breweries have greatly contributed to the development of Cleveland's growing economy. Paul Benner, a BW alumnus with an entrepreneurship degree, has taken advantage of the "shop local" movement and built a successful business model around a passion for craft beer.

Benner and his partner Justin Carson opened Platform Beer Company in July of 2014. Located in Ohio City on Lorain Ave., the brewery celebrates local businesses and home beer brewing. Described by Benner as a "sensory experience," customers can sit at the bar and see, smell and hear the beer being brewed right in front of them. Just shy of it's one year anniversary, Platform Beer Co. has already become a mainstream brand and can be found on the shelves of 80 bars and 50 grocery stores in the area.

The business has also been featured in The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com, Cleveland Magazine, Crain Cleveland Business and Cleveland Scene, just to name a few.

Craft-beer drinkers from around Northeast Ohio recently voted on their favorite local breweries at Cleveland.com and Platform Beer Co. was ranked fourth, an impressive accomplishment for such a young company. Voting has reopened in order to select the best Northeast Ohio craft brewery out of the list of 10. You can cast your vote for Platform Beer Co. here and/or follow the company on Facebook for updates and news.