Waitsfield brewery Lawson’s Finest Liquids has hired Adeline Druart, the recent president of Vermont Creamery, as its new CEO.
Brewery cofounders Sean and Karen Lawson said on Tuesday that they plan to take a small step back from day-to-day operations at their business, which employs 85 people.
Druart, who worked at the artisanal cheesemaker in Websterville for 19 years and oversaw its acquisition by Land O’Lakes, has a track record of success, said Sean, who is stepping down as CEO. Druart rose through the ranks of Vermont Creamery under the leadership of cofounders Allison Hooper and Bob Reese and stayed on after it was acquired by Land O’Lakes in 2017.
“Adeline is someone that knows their way around a founder-led enterprise and has been on that journey before,” Sean said.
While the Lawsons said Druart’s experience in the acquisition is valuable, they have no intention of seeking a similar trajectory for their company. The two said in an interview on Tuesday that they would like growth to be steady and sustainable, with the goal of keeping the brewery in the family.
“We built the company to thrive, not sell,” Sean said. “As long as Karen and I are healthy and on this planet, then we plan to continue to be owners.”
Lawson’s Finest is a central Vermont success story that started in 2008 as a brewery and wholesale distributor. The two-person business started winning awards in 2010, hired its first employee in 2016, and opened a new brewery and a taproom in 2018. It distributes beer in nine northeastern states.
The couple, who own 100 percent of the business, are committed to giving away a share of the brewery’s profits. They said they’ve donated more than $1.9 million to community organizations and causes since 2018.
This month they plan to start generating all of the electricity they use through solar power installed on rooftops and a parking lot canopy.
Druart is on the board of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility and has worked with the nonprofit group Let’s Grow Kids to make childcare more accessible to Vermont families. She said the Lawson’s social mission was one thing that attracted her to the job. She also wanted a new challenge.
“I have seen the business through so many life cycles,” Druart, 43, said of Vermont Creamery. “I have learned so much. What is the next chapter of this book?”
Druart acknowledged that brewing is a male-dominated industry. A 2021 report from the Brewers Association found that just 3 percent of all brewing companies were completely women-owned.
Druart said the dairy industry has similar demographics and noted that she learned quickly to adapt as an outsider after arriving in the U.S. from her native France at age 21 to work in cheesemaking.
“I never have been pushed around,” she said. She added that she wasn’t chosen for the Lawson’s position because she’s a woman. “I got chosen because of my credentials,” she said. “But I look forward to being part of the conversation to listen, learn and see how I can impact the diversity efforts in this industry.”
When Druart starts full time as CEO in September, Sean, 52, and Karen, 49, will continue to maintain offices on the Waitsfield campus.
“We have made it very clear to our staff that we’re not going anywhere. We’re not retiring,” Karen said. But hiring Druart will enable the pair to take a break from days spent at their computers, she said.
“This allows us to be more strategic about how we are spending our time,” she said.
This article appears in Jun 7-13, 2023.
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