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January 9, 2018

3Cross Brewing Co. becomes cooperative

Sam Bonacci Dave Howland's approach to his brewery 3Cross is more small business than big brewing.

Worcester beermaker 3Cross Brewing Co. is now a cooperative owned by its three employees and will soon make an offer to customers to buy a stake in the co-op, the brewery announced Tuesday.

The brewery, now known as the 3Cross Fermentation Cooperative, said it is the first community-owned brewery in Massachsuetts. The name change indicates a business shift to begin offering a “wider variety” of fermented products. 

“Drawing inspiration from the original cooperative brewery in the United States, Black Star Co-op in Austin, Texas, 3cross will be owned both by its workers and by its customers,” the brewery said in a press release announcing the change to its corporate structure. 

The brewery said it will join other local Worcester cooperatives, like Future Focus Media, WorX Printing and WooRides.

Current employees - founder Dave Howland, Jessica Howland and taproom manager Heather Odell are its first worker-owners, but in a kickoff event coinciding with the New Economy Summit at Worcester State University on Jan. 26, the brewery will begin offering consumer memberships for a lifetime price of $150. 

Membership grants voting power on business direction, a dividend in years when the business makes a profit and some soon-to-be-announced members-only features. 

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