In 2002, Joe Short stumbled on an opportunity to open one of Michigan's leading craft brewing companies. At the young age of 22 and with very few years experience in the industry, Short registered Short's Brewing Company's as a new business in the state of Michigan. It wasn't until January 2003 that he found the perfect location for his brewery - a 120 year old hardware store in downtown Bellaire, Michigan. After 18 long months and many setbacks, Joe and his friends finally completed the renovation of the building and on April 26, 2004 Joe opened the doors to his very own brewery. .
Over the next couple years important staff was added to the Short's team to help them keep growing. Joe's wife Leah took on the deli and food menu and Scott Newman-Bale (aka "The Magician") joined as the Chief Financial Officer. With Scott's help, Joe was able to create the Imperial Beer Series. This series included 13 beers, made with "untraditional and unusual ingredients." This is the most ambitious and risky project Short's has ever done. The series was released to a widespread audience, which helped Short's gain a reputation as a top tier craft brewery. Soon after the release, beer drinkers around Michigan were demanding Short's beer. .
The next step on Joe's list was so get a production facility and start distributing their beer across Michigan. In January 2008 that's exactly what he did by transforming an old manufacturing building in Elk Rapids. Then one year later the first batch from the production facility was sent out. To keep up with their growing reputation Joe and his crew renovated the brewery in Bellaire in 2010. Since then Short's Brewing Company has continued to succeed ("Short's", 2013).
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Current Analysis.
Short's Brewing Company is broken up into the functions of the company, but ultimately everyone answers to Joe and Leah Shorts. The functions include the office, the pub in Bellaire, and the production facility in Elk Rapids.