[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S7151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING 14TH STAR BREWERY

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to celebrate the success of a 
Vermont entrepreneur and small business owner, Steve Gagner, of 14th 
Star Brewery. Started in 2012, 14th Star Brewery began in a hand-built 
brew house in St. Albans, VT, with beer brewed in repurposed maple sap 
collection tanks. Under the leadership of the team he has assembled, 
the company has grown immensely since then, increasing their staff to 
24 and moving to a new location where they are expected to produce over 
8,000 barrels of craft beer by year-end. 14th Star has become widely 
popular throughout Vermont and distributes to six nearby States.
  The creation of this Vermont brewery, however, began on the 
battlefields of Afghanistan. The founders of 14th Star, Steve Gagner 
and Matt Kehaya, served in Afghanistan with the Vermont Army National 
Guard. During their deployment, they drafted the business plan for 
their dream company on the back of a notebook. Even as the business has 
grown dramatically, Steve continues to serve in the Vermont Army 
National Guard and has been named commanding officer of the Army 
Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, VT. Steve was deployed for two 
combat tours and is a two-time Bronze Star recipient. He also teaches 
the next generation of leaders as an assistant professor at Norwich 
University.
  Named after Vermont's status as the 14th State to join the Union, 
Steve has ensured that 14th Star Brewery maintains a close tie to 
service of our fellow Vermonters. Taking its values from Steve and his 
close-knit leadership team, the brewery directs a portion of its 
proceeds towards supporting Purple Hearts Reunited, an organization 
founded by fellow Vermont Guardsman Zach Fike to return lost or stolen 
military medals to veterans and their families. Each June, which is 
PTSD awareness month, 14th Star releases a special brew, 11Bravo, and 
hosts an annual event to support the Josh Pallotta fund for addressing 
veteran suicides, in memory of his fellow Vermont Guardsman.
  Steve and 14th Star are proud and devoted members of the St. Albans 
and Franklin County community, serving every way possible, such as 
raising enough funds to ensure eggs and milk were supplied to a local 
kitchen for an entire year. 14th Star's tireless efforts to give back 
to their community and the State shows how far a small business's 
impact can go.
  Marcelle and I have enjoyed getting to know Steve and his wife Nicole 
over the years. During the Vermont Brewers Festival in 2015, Steve 
kindly gave me a tour of the festival and introduced me to many amazing 
brewers within our State. Marcelle and I have also had the pleasure of 
visiting 14th Star Brewery, where we were impressed not only by the 
creativity and quality of the beer but also the sense of community they 
have fostered by creating a welcoming gathering space in St. Albans. 
His sister and business partner, Andrea Gagner, who is the CEO of 14th 
Star, has also joined us in DC to participate in the annual Taste of 
Vermont on Capitol Hill for 2 years, and Marcelle and I have enjoyed 
spending time with her at the event.
  I was proud to hear that Steve was chosen as the Vermont Small 
Business Person of the Year earlier this year. I have seen firsthand 
the dedication Steve has not only to his community in St. Albans but 
also to the veteran's community. He has an outstanding work ethic and I 
applaud him for all the selfless work to give back to his community. I 
believe Steve truly exemplifies what it means to be a small business 
owner in Vermont and he is very deserving of this high recognition.

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