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St. Petersburg, Florida - From bottling to the shelves to your first pour... Founding Fathers Brewing Company is keeping America in mind.
"Buying American is coming back and it's an important thing to help get our economy rolling," says Phil Knusten, President and CEO of Founding Fathers Products.
It's pride he wears on his lapel and lives every day. The American-owned company just opened up in six new states, including Florida, with a goal of becoming a national brand.
"It offers what we feel is a little bit more of a higher profile more of a super premium feel in a domestic premium market," says Knusten.
But what's truly unique about this beer is that it gives back: 50 percent of the company's profits are donated to military families.
"There's a lot of needs now. There's been a lot of stress put on our military over the last 10 years. There's a lot of people that need money, need help, need jobs," says Knusten.
Although it's brewed more than 1,500 miles away in Wisconsin, when you buy the beer here in Florida, the money stays here and goes to the Armed Forces Relief Trust and the Florida National Guard Foundation.
"Our organization gives back. Ninety-nine percent of all monies we take in goes back to the soldiers and airmen of the Florida National Guard," says Debra Cox, a retired major from the Florida National Guard and the Executive Director of the Florida National Guard Foundation.
It helps soldiers like Sgt. Steve Holloway, who was injured in 2004 by a sniper's bullet and is now in a wheelchair. Sgt. Holloway was driving hours to and from therapy until contractors and the Florida National Guard Foundation made it possible for him to stay home.
"Build him a special, outfitted, therapeutic swimming pool where his wheelchair would be able to go into the swimming pool then he could do his therapy," says Cox.
The company's values date back to where it got its name, with an idea to move our country forward.
"It goes right back to one of our trademarks: America strong, one beer at a time," says Cox.
Knusten says the company can give 50 percent of its profits to military families because it's a lean, efficiently run company.
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