The Connection Magazine AIM MUTUAL Spring 2019 | Page 26

POLICYHOLDER SPOTLIGHT
POLICYHOLDER
SPOTLIGHT:
AT HARPOON,
WORKPLACE
SAFETY IS
ON TAP
HARPOON BREWERY is owned by
Massachusetts Bay Brewing Company
(MBBC), which operates breweries in
Boston, Massachusetts, and Windsor,
Vermont. While the company is widely
known for its flagship beer, Harpoon IPA,
the brewery is much more than that. With
over 150 unique beers brewed in 2018,
MBBC continuously strives to meet the
needs of consumers by fine-tuning recipes
of beloved classics while also diversifying
its offerings with new products.
RICHARD ACKERMAN, AVP HUMAN RESOURCES, MBBC
HARPOON HAS SUCCESSFULLY
MAINTAINED A LOW LOSS RATIO.
HOW HAVE YOU ACHIEVED THAT?
Accidents
happen.
However,
anticipating
and
avoiding
risky
circumstances and structuring operations
in a sensible manner helps to keep our loss
ratio to a minimum. not only maximize the resources offered
by our carrier but we also rely on A.I.M.
Mutual’s experienced Injury Prevention &
Worksite Wellness (IPWW) staff. They are
very familiar with our industry settings—
for instance, blue lights on forklifts and
accident investigation templates—which
better allows them to assist us.
The 18th largest craft brewery in the US,
the company produced 185,000 barrels
of beer last year alone. MBBC is also the
parent company of UFO, Clown Shoes, and
its newest brand, Arctic Summer. First, maintaining an engaged workforce
in an employee-owned business is by
far the number one tactic. Listening to
employees who share concerns about
safety in specific areas allows us to be
proactive in ensuring the well-being of all
staff. As an organization, we are quick to
react to accidents and make policy/safety
improvements when necessary. With more than 300 employees, MBBC
places a high priority on workplace safety.
Here, Richard Ackerman puts injury
prevention in context with the company’s
mission and structure. Second, we maintain safety committees
with a highly engaged employee safety
officer at each location. Finally, our
partnership with A.I.M. Mutual plays a
large role in maintaining a low loss ratio. We YOU’VE BEEN IN BUSINESS
SINCE 1986. IN 2014 YOU BECAME
EMPLOYEE-OWNED. WHY?
In 2014, cofounder Rich Doyle
communicated to the senior team that he
felt it was time to sell the business. We
were at a time in the industry when many
other craft breweries were seeing the
benefits of selling out to big breweries
or private equity firms and having key
leaders cash out.
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Meanwhile, our other cofounder, Dan
Kenary, had a different vision. He did not
want to see this happen to the employees