JULY 20239the chemistry of wood and the processes involved in manufacturing. How are the green initiatives sweeping across different verticals impacting the barrel industry?The green initiatives have positively influenced the barrel industry, specifically in our company. For a couple of years now, we have employed a person exclusively to ensure sustainability and are partnering with like-minded companies with similar initiatives.We have been collaborating with the White Oak Initiative to ascertain the sources we utilize are harvested ethically and sustainably, which has enabled us to be more eco-friendly in the past decade. With an increasing focus on environmental concerns, we are challenged to be better at our jobs. Through those challenges, we have adopted green initiatives and, ultimately, give back in the best way possible.What does your leadership strategy encompass, and how do you implement the same impactfully?My job is to test the limits of possibilities regarding alcohol flavors, which goes back to the research division. It is focused on the development of alternative flavors. We're exploring species other than oak and are looking at barrel alternatives. Within the barrel industry, there has been a lot of evolution concerning flavor; before the early 2000s, there wasn't much. We are treading new ground, which makes the job exciting. We aim to deliver the products and flavors our customers want, which keeps us going in the research division. To improve the division, we take cues from the customers we serve. If our customers ask for a specific product that we do not possess, we figure out how we best create it. If they require a higher quality product, we leverage new machinery to provide that and see what we can do. What are some of the disruptions that might take place in the industry in the coming years?Bourbon is very popular, and an increasing number of competitors are entering the market every week, and customers are always looking to differentiate themselves. When it comes to making spirits, there are many ways to achieve that uniqueness: distillation, raw materials, and maturation. Those are the three sectors players can use to distinguish themselves. As the barrel industry provides 60 to 80 percent of the flavor, they rely on us to develop different ways to offer that differentiation. Differentiating is the key to standing out; we are a massive part of creating options to provide that distinction.Is there any advice you'd like to share with your peers in the same space as yourself?Don't hesitate to think outside the box and try new things from the beginning. Disregard the barriers and focus on getting a product sample to the end user first; a manufacturing process can be set up accordingly. It's going to require a lot of trial and error. Our goal is to deliver the products and flavors our customers want, and that keeps us going in the research division
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