GREEN BAY, Wis.— If you ask Jason Holtermann what his job title is, he will hesitate a little.
Holtermann is a “beer mechanic" at Stillmank Brewing Co. in Green Bay. The brewery has been very busy the past few weeks.
What You Need To Know
- Diesel prices in Wisconsin are up more than $2 per gallon from the same time last year
- Many of those costs are passed on to end users, like Stillmank Brewing Co. in Green Bay
- The business is absorbing those increases and holding retail prices steady
“Winter is always a little bit of a lull, but we ramp up production to make a stockpile to hit summer head on because summer is always really busy,” Holtermann said.
Stillmank Brewing is not only busy on the production floor, it’s also busy adjusting to increased costs for everything from hops to packaging materials.
That’s due in part to high diesel prices that are driving up transportation and delivery costs. The average price of diesel in Wisconsin was $5.12 per gallon in mid-May.
That’s up more than $2 per gallon at the same time last year, according to AAA.
Brewer and owner, Brand Stillmank, said increases are across the board for his suppliers — and for him.
“Transportation costs, fuel prices, are all driving up all our raw material prices,” he said. “Our two biggest prices increases right now is aluminum and paper board or cardboard. The flats out beer ships in or the 12-boxes that are going out.”
Despite those increases, Stillmank said the business is holding the line on its retail prices for now.
“We’ve got to absorb as much of this as possible because making increases in beer prices everyday just isn’t something that’s feasible and isn’t the right thing to do through retail,” Stillmank said. “We’ve got to be able to manage these costs in house, which means our margins get tighter, everything gets tighter to manage in here and still make the business function properly.”
Transportation costs are the latest hurdle the industry has faced in the past two years. At one point, cans — which now cost more — where hard to get.
Despite the ups and downs through the pandemic, both Stillman and Holtermann said it’s still a fun industry to be part of. Holtermann points to customers.
“When they try one of our beers for the first time, just the smile on their face. It’s awesome to see the fruits of my labor,” he said