When my wife, Kim Jordan, and I founded New Belgium Brewing Company in 1991,當我的妻子，金約旦，我創建了新比利時釀造公司在1991年，
money was tight, so we created a business plan that fit within the budget and錢緊，所以，我們創建了一個業務計劃，符合預算和
a custom equipment plan that fit within the 211 square feet of basement space自定義設備的計劃，符合211平方英尺的地下室空間
allotted to the venture.分配給合資公司。 We were told that it wouldn’t work.我們被告知，這是行不通的。 Creativity,創造力，
supported with confidence and buffered with a bit of ignorance, was our支持與信心和緩衝與有點無知，是我們的
greatest asset.最大的資產。

Sixteen months later, we were selling all the beer we could make.一十六個月後，我們銷售的所有啤酒，我們可以作出。 So when it因此，當它
came time to open a second brewing facility, instead of buying all new parts,來的時間開闢第二釀造設施，而不是購買所有新的零件，
I scrounged old dairies for tanks and other stainless steel parts, allowing us i scrounged歲的奶場，為坦克和其他不銹鋼零件，讓我們
to rapidly increase production volume without compromising product quality.迅速提高生產量又不損害了產品質量。

Three years later, when we opened an all-new brewery, I again stretched my三年後的今天，當我們打開一個全新的啤酒廠，我再次拉我
creativity.創造力。 In one project, three engineers, including myself, did the work of在一個項目，三個工程師，包括我自己在內，有沒有工作
12 to custom fashion the control system and piping for our state-of-the-art 12日至定制時裝控制系統和管道，為我們的國家- - -藝術
brewing equipment from Germany.釀造設備由德國。

In 1999, we were searching for ways to reduce brewery carbon dioxide在1999年，我們正在尋找途徑來降低啤酒的二氧化碳
emissions, a natural byproduct of beer fermentation.排放的廢氣，自然的副產品啤酒發酵過程中。 A brewery co-worker found一啤酒廠合作，工人發現
that we could buy wind power from our local utility rather than invest in new我們可以購買風力發電從本地公用事業，而非投資於新
CO2 recovery equipment, resulting in a six times greater net CO2 emission二氧化碳回收設備，導致在一個更大的6倍，淨CO2排放
reduction, without any capital expenditures.減少，沒有任何資本支出。

Now that the company is established – we’re the fifth largest craft brewery in現在，該公司是成立的-我們是第五大啤酒工藝在
the United States, with annual revenue of $42 million and 175 employees - I美國，每年收入4200萬美元和175名僱員-我
still tinker to find solutions for our equipment needs.仍修飾，以找到解決辦法，為我們的設備的需要。

So That’s Creativity 這樣的創造力

In my mind, building a creative company comes down to examples like these.在我心目中，建設一個創意公司可以歸結為例子，像這些。
It’s the ability to bring innovative solutions to difficult problems.它的能力，帶來創新的方法，解決棘手問題。 A字母a
reflection perhaps of my background in engineering, it’sa concept that反思或許我的背景在工程中的應用，它的概念，
nonetheless works well for our company.儘管如此工程，以及為我們的公司。

It’s also a concept that, I believe, would be helpful to other entrepreneurs,這也是一個概念，我相信，會有幫助其他的企業家，
especially those whose image is, much like our own, that of being “hip” and特別是那些形象，很像我們自己，就是被“協和”和
“funky.” “時髦” 。

Indeed, we were founded after a decade of beer-related soul searching on my事實上，我們成立十年後的啤酒有關的反省我的
part.的一部分。 I had the classic beer experience in college.我有經典的啤酒的經驗，在高校。 Then I “graduated” to more然後我“畢業” ，以更
flavorful imported brews. flavorful進口brews 。 I dabbled – disastrously at times – in home brewing. i涉足-d isastrously在時代-在家中自釀製酒。
In the mid 1980s, when I toured Belgium on a bicycle, I learned about Belgian在八十年代中期，當我參觀了比利時對自行車的，我了解了比利時
beer “styles” and the role of major ingredients such as yeast.啤酒“風格”和作用的主要成分，如酵母。

By the end of the decade, I was scribbling back-of-the-envelope notes about由十年結束時，我是塗鴉回- - -信封筆記
how to turn what was a passion into the business that became New Belgium如何把什麼是一個熱情化為業務成為新的比利時
Brewing.釀造。 It’sa business that reflects my ideals as well as my beer-making這是業務，反映了我的理想，以及我的啤酒決策
fervor: a pair of founders as dedicated to preserving the environment as熱情：對創始人作為致力於維護環境作為
building a company; “hippie”-type employees who want to work for great建設公司; “嬉皮”型的員工要工作的偉大
companies and make great products; and a participatory management style.公司和大的產品;和參與的管理風格。

All of which is somewhat ironic given that it has been my prosaic definition所有這些，是有點諷刺意味，因為它已被我平淡的定義
of creativity – and not only when applied to manufacturing – that has enabled創造力-而不是只有當適用於製造業的-這使得
us to prosper.我們的繁榮。

Beyond Engineering 超越工程

In the management arena, where my wife presides as chief executive officer and在管理上，我的妻子主持作為首席執行幹事和
president, the difficult problem that demanded an innovative solution occurred主席，困難的問題，要求一個創新的解決方案發生
in during a period of particularly fast growth in the 1990s.在期間，尤其是快速增長，在20世紀90年代。

The long hairs who embrace great companies and products wouldn’t be willing to長頭髮的人的懷抱的偉大的公司和產品不會願意
remain with a company whose culture was in danger of growing out of that mold,保持與公司的文化是在危險日益擺脫這種模具，
we were advised.我們被告知。 Our solution was to enable them to become owners of more than我們的解決辦法是使他們成為業主多
30 percent of our stock through an ESOP program and to allow access to all of 30 ％ ，我們的股票，通過職工持股計劃，並允許訪問的所有
our financial records, except salary information.我們的財務記錄，除薪金資料。 We even sponsored courses in我們甚至贊助的課程，
how to read a balance sheet.如何閱讀資產負債表。 The intent, and result, was to create the的意圖，和結果，是建立
mind-set of an owner.心定一個擁有者。

These “open-book management” concepts aren’t unique to us, but they have gone這些“開放式圖書管理”的概念並非獨一無二我們，但他們已經
a long way toward enabling us to preserve our culture, and even to tweak it in很長的路走向，使我們能夠保存我們的文化，甚至來調整它在
a way that makes sense for a maturing enterprise.的方式是合理的，因為成熟的企業。 These days, employees who這些天來，僱員
are also stockholders don’t think twice about foregoing a quarterly bonus that也有股東不三思前述一季度的收穫
could be detrimental to the long-term value of their holdings.可能不利於長期的價值，其控股。

Product Savvy 產品知識

A difficult problem once facing our product line occurred a decade ago when it一個難題，一旦面對我們的產品線發生在十多年前，當它
was clear that one of our products, “Fat Tire™,” was accounting for fully 80顯然，我們的一個產品， “發輪胎™ ， ”會計為全面80
percent of sales. ％的銷售。 A consultant we retained advised that we jettison our other一名顧問，我們保留表示，我們放棄我們的其他
products and even rename the company Fat Tire.產品，甚至重新命名，該公司發輪胎。

The innovative solution to that problem came right from the gut, and that was創新解決這一問題來的權利，從腸道，這是
to say no.說沒有。 We wanted to continue with the strategy that we had embraced from我們要繼續與策略，我們從擁抱
the beginning, which was to innovate continually when it came to our specialty一開始，這是創新不斷，當它來到我們的專長
beers.啤酒。

In our line of about a dozen offerings, we recently turned to creativity to在我們的路線，大約12名的產品，我們最近轉向創意
envision how ale from the Brussels of five centuries ago might have tasted.設想如何的ALE從布魯塞爾5個世紀前可能已嚐到了。
Although we found a recipe dating from 1554, we couldn’t discern the brewing雖然我們找到了食譜可追溯到1554年，我們無法辨別釀造
instructions.指示。 So the new brew, which we’ve named “1554,” arose from our因此，新的BREW ，我們已經命名為“ 1554 ” ，出現了從我們的
attempts to improvise while figuring it out.嘗試即興而計算出來。

Similarly, innovation has led us to work around the brewing mantra that holds同樣，創新，使我們的工作，圍繞釀造的口頭禪持有
that high alcohol content enhances flavor.高酒精含量，提高風味。 Wanting to design a flavorful beer要設計一個flavorful啤酒
with little alcohol, which we would call “Loft,” we turned to the creative少飲酒，這是我們稱之為“閣樓， ”我們轉向創意
solution of using spices.解決使用香料。

Our Creative Future 我們創造性的未來

On the drawing board for the future is a plan to turn our company into one關於制定理事會未來是一個計劃，把我們的公司變成一
that goes beyond green - that becomes a model of environmental adaptation for超越綠色-即成為一種模式，適應環境，為
other companies.其他公司。 A current project, for example, is to assure that our new目前的項目，舉例來說，是確保我們的新
warehouse and bottling facility is a net producer rather than consumer of倉庫和裝瓶設施，是一個純生產者，而非消費者
energy.能源。

Already the first problem has surfaced, that such a “living building,” as we已經是第一個問題已經出現，這種“生活建設， ”由於我們
call it, will be more expensive to build.呼籲，將較昂貴的建設。 Already, we are turning our目前，我們正把我國
creativity toward the task of solving that problem.對創造力的任務，解決這一問題。

Our definition of creativity has forged a company.我們的定義，創造性，建立了一間公司。 Adapt it in the course of適應它在這個過程中
building yours, and you will be richly rewarded.建設你，你將擁有豐富的回報。

© Jeff Lebesch ©傑夫lebesch
Co-founder,共同創辦人， New Belgium Brewing Company新比利時釀造公司