From Left to Right: Jeff Kleppin, Nicole Barnett, Rob Gropman, and Keith Weltens

Six years ago, Keith Weltens, Rob Gropman, and Jeff Kleppin were a group of brewing hobbyists that enjoyed sitting around the back yard with their friends, chatting, having a laugh, and drinking their home crafted brews.  After a few years of this camaraderie, talk turned to speculation about what to do after retirement.  It was Weltens who encouraged the others, saying that brewing might be the way to go.
Not only did the trio know something about craft brewing, but they also felt that Radford could use a popular brewery.  Between funding, licenses, certifications, equipment, and supplies, there was a lot to do and a lot to plan for.  The first concern, however, was to find a location.
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Radford Virginia in 1981 was a different place in a different time.  Before the information age, things moved more slowly.  Tasks that are instantaneous today took hours, days, and sometimes even weeks back then.  During 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot.  NASA launched the first space shuttle flight.  The Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles for the Superbowl trophy while Dolly Parton hit the charts with “9 to 5”.  And while everyone was glued to their television sets to finally learn who shot J.R, a young man named Dean Young was just starting out on his new business adventure at 1620 East Main Street in Radford.
Dean’s father had been a mechanic, but the internal workings of the vehicles were not for him.  Dean wanted to work more with the outside than the inside, so he began working for other body shops until he had the skill and motivation to strike out on his own.
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Mark Brookner worked at the Lynchburg Foundry for eighteen years before finding work as a material handler at Mar-Bal in Dublin.  Mar-Bal is a manufacturer of electric insulators, and Mark worked there till he was laid off from his third shift job in 2007.  As it turns out, getting laid off was one of the best things to happen to Mark Brookner.
Over the years, Mark’s brother had taught him a great deal about painting.  So, with plenty of time on his hands, Mark started painting for relatives and friends.  Word spread.  His aunt told a couple of her friends, and soon the requests began pouring in.  “Hey, can you paint my house?”
It wasn’t long before Mark found he had regular work as a painter.  The painting, however, led to other odd jobs.  Folks would hire him to paint, then ask if he could also take care of other things.  Through this process, Mark became a general handyman as well as a sometimes landscaper, doing mowing and various lawn maintenance.  The main work, though, was painting.
The layoff wound up lasting three months.  Even after returning to his third shift schedule at Mar-Bal, Mark tried to continue painting during the day.  But it was just too much.  He told Mar-Bal “I appreciate the opportunity, but I’m going to see if I can make it on my own.”
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