Manjit Minhas

Manjit Minhas (born May 31, 1980) is a Canadian entrepreneur, television personality, and venture capitalist. She is the co-founder and CEO of Minhas Breweries & Distillery, manufacturer of such beer brands as Boxer Lager, Lazy Mutt Ale and Huber Bock.[1] Minhas was announced as one of the new dragons on Season 10 of the Canadian reality television series Dragons' Den in 2015 for its tenth season.[2]

Personal life

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, and attended West Island College from 1996–1998.[3] Minhas received her Petroleum Engineering degree from the University of Regina in 2005.[4] Minhas resides with her husband, Harvey Shergill, and two daughters in Calgary, Alberta.[5] The Minhases are Sikh.[6]

Business

Minhas and her brother, Ravinder Minhas, entered the alcohol industry in 1999, while both siblings were students at the University of Calgary. Their first endeavor was importing private label spirits for a chain of liquor stores owned by their parents.[7] The family began importing beer in 2002.

In 2006, the Mountain Crest Brewing Company purchased the second-oldest brewery in the United States, the Joseph Huber Brewing Company, along with rights to the Huber and Rhinelander beer brands, and Blumers soda brand. The Monroe brewery was renamed Minhas Craft Brewery.[8] Today, the Minhas Craft Brewery is the 10th largest craft brewery in the United States.[9]

In addition to producing such brands as Boxer Lager, Lazy Mutt Ale and Huber Bock, the Minhas Craft Brewery also contracts for other brewers and produces private label beers and spirits for retailers such as Costco, Trader Joes, Tesco and Walgreens.[10]

A second brewery, the Minhas Micro Brewery, opened in Calgary, Alberta in June 2012.[11]

Combined, the Minhas Breweries & Distillery is a group of companies with a reported revenue of $155 million in 2014.[2]

Television

Minhas, Joe Fresh founder Joe Mimran, and buytopia.ca co-founder Michele Romanow were announced as the new dragons on Season 10 of the Canadian reality television series Dragons' Den in 2015 after the departure of Arlene Dickinson, David Chilton, and Vikram Vij.[2]

The season 10 premiere was scheduled for broadcast on CBC television in the fall of 2015.

Controversy

Molson Brewery sued Mountain Crest Brewing in 2002 over similarities between the Minhas' flagship product and the Molson-owned product Pilsner. The matter was settled out of court.[12]

Minhas claims competitors were behind an Ontario Provincial Police investigation that hindered her company's entry into the lucrative Ontario beer market in 2005.[7][13] The investigation was eventually dropped and Boxer Lager was given a listing in Ontario's Beer Store chain in 2009.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Dragons' Den". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  2. 1 2 3 "Dragons’ Den adds Snapsaves creator Michele Romanow, Minhas Breweries’ founder Manjit Minhas | Financial Post". Business.financialpost.com. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  3. ↑ "Manjit Minhas | LinkedIn". ca.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  4. ↑ "Manjit Minhas". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  5. ↑ "Meet New Dragon Manjit Minhas! – Dragons' Den". Cbc.ca. 2015-03-24. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  6. ↑ http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1317504-a-dragon%E2%80%99s-entrepreneurial-spirit-minhas-built-155m-brewery-from-scratch
  7. 1 2 Murad Hemmadi (2015-06-24). "6 Entrepreneurial Lessons from New Dragon Manjit Minhas". PROFITguide.com. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  8. ↑ Tom Daykin, "Monroe's Huber Brewing sold: Canadian buyer agrees to buy beer and soda brands, plans to add workers." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 20, 2006 – via HighBeam Research
  9. ↑ "Yuengling ousts Boston Beer as top U.S. craft brewery". Usatoday.com. 2015-03-31. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  10. ↑ "Private & Custom Label, White Label, Contract Packaging for beers, spirits & liqueurs". Minhasbrewery.com. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  11. ↑ "Minhas Micro Brewery Close to Opening in Calgary". Canadian Beer News. 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  12. ↑ Daykin, Tom (2007-09-30). "Crafting success". Jsonline.com. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  13. ↑ "Manjit Minhas is Canada’s biggest beer baron you’ve never met". Canadianbusiness.com. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  14. ↑ "A beer-fuelled grudge match | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
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