In 1989, John McDonald put down his carpentry tools to found Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Company. It was instantly Missouri’s second largest brewery. It retains that title to this day and has grown to become the 12th largest craft brewery in the country. Boulevard enjoys a strong reputation and an enviable market presence in its limited territory, which consists of distribution in 30 states and the District of Columbia.
Beyond just beer, McDonald and other Boulevard colleagues established Ripple Glass in 2009, the lone glass recycling operation in Kansas City. With support of community sponsors and personal investments, they successfully created a path toward less waste, more energy-efficient solutions and a greener community.
John McDonald himself will tell you that he does not possess a great business mind, at least not in the modern MBA sense. And anyone who knows him will tell you that he is not particularly motivated by money or the things it will buy. What he does possess — what has enabled his company to flourish — is vision, integrity, passion, determination, patience and an ability to attract outstanding people, inspiring in them a fierce loyalty and uncommon dedication.