Brew Hub has hired Jim “Otto” Ottolini as chief of brewing operations. He also serve a head brewmaster at the company’s St. Louis brewery, which is scheduled to open in 2016.
Ottolini joins Brew Hub after spending more than 22 years at The St. Louis Brewery, which makes of Schlafly beer. Ottolini was responsible for the brewing and packaging operations of the St. Louis Brewery’s two facilities in St. Louis. Jim also was responsible for planning and coordinating activities related to the design and expansion of production equipment and resources to meet Schlafly’s growth objectives.
“Jim Ottolini is one of the most revered and respected brewers in the craft beer industry, and we could not be more excited to have him join the Brew Hub team,” CEO Tim Schoen said for a press release.
Brew Hub opened the first of what will be five regional brewing operations in Lakeland, Fla., last year. St. Louis will be the second and the company is considering locations in the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, Texas and the West Coast.
The company “allows craft breweries to brew their beer to exact specifications under the supervision of their own brewmaster, and to package and distribute from Brew Hub. Brew Hub also offers its partners services, including sales, marketing, logistics, legal, and government affairs.”
As brewmaster at Brew Hub’s St. Louis brewery, Ottolini will be responsible for the design and construction of the brewery and for brewing operations once the brewery is built. The company plans to brew beer for several regional craft breweries throughout the Midwest, for some of the same partners already signed up at its Florida brewery, and its own home brands.
Dr. Paul Farnsworth is the chief brewer at the company’s Lakeland, Florida brewery and is responsible for Brew Hub’s brewing innovation, technology and quality control.
Ottolini received the 2012 Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing and serves as an adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Brew Hub plans to break ground on its St. Louis brewery in May 2015. The brewery and tasting room are scheduled to open in early 2016.
Brew Hub also has hired Dave Winking as the company’s first chief financial officer. Winking joins Brew Hub after serving as a financial consultant to craft brewers throughout the Midwest. From 2011 through 2013, Winking served as vice president, business operations for advertising agency Momentum Worldwide. Prior to 2011, Winking spent more than 21 years in a variety of finance, marketing and media positions at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis.