Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Fougeron.
Dave, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started brewing at Saint Arnold in 1997. I left Saint Arnold and started Southern Star in 2007 in a 9,900 sq. ft. rented warehouse. We expanded into the warehouse next to us in 2012. We then built our new facility from the ground up and moved into it early 2016.
Has it been a smooth road?
At first, the struggle was growth. Our first year we brewed 336 BBLs of beer. We experienced triple digit growth for the next 3 years. All of our expansion in the old place was organic, so all of the money was being sank right back into the business. We eventually ended up maxing out the power supply at the old place. Lately, the challenges have had more to do with competition as the market matures.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Southern Star Brewing – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At first there were only two of us, so we pretty much did everything there is to do in a brewery. As we have grown, I have assumed the CEO position, and I do mostly development and strategic planning. Southern Star specializes in consistent crisp, clean beers. We are especially good at making German style lagers, which serve as some of our seasonal products. We are best known for our Bombshell Blonde ale, which is fermented at lower temperatures and is especially clean, although our highest rated beer is our Buried Hatchet Stout. I am most proud of our growth and that we currently employ over 20 people. Community is very important to us, and it is nice to provide livelihood for so many people.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I’m a native Houstonian, so I’m a bit biased. I love the remarkable character of the people in this city. I love the immense diversity of the people here and especially how they can all come together when things get rough. The food scene is not so bad either. I think that I like traffic the least about our city – in fact I can emphatically say that I hate it. Summer also sucks, but I guess that’s one of the reasons we are not the most populous city in America.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3525 N Frazier St
- Website: www.southernstarbrewing.com
- Phone: 936.441.2739
- Email: brewery@southernstarbrewing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernstarbrewingco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernStarBrewing/
- Twitter: @southernstarbrewing
Image Credit:
Keith Amador
M.H. Draper
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