It's Namesake May Be In Maine, But Dogfish Head Is All Southern Delaware!
Whether it's Executive Chef Zach Dick preparing 50 "McLaine Mac and Cheese" specials during a busy summer afternoon, or "Innmate" Linda Romanowski brewing the company's special blend of coffee or "Brewing Ambassador" Bryan Selders telling the world about the once-small craft brewery named for a tiny land mass off the coast of Maine, there's no questioning one simple reality...
Dogfish Head has taken southern Delaware by storm over the last two decades like no other company ever has, and Sam and Mariah Calagione, and their team, aren't going anywhere any time soon.
Begun as a tiny operation out of the recently demolished Dogfish Head Brewpub on Rehoboth Avenue in 1995, the company has now grown into the 14th most successful craft brewery in the United States, according to the not-for-profit Brewers Association.
And the company, much like Seaford's DuPont Nylon Plant did in it's glory years from the 1940s to the 1980s, has had a major impact on southern Delaware and it's economy.
"We've really kind of become a tourist destination of our own, bringing a lot of money into the region just by people coming here to actually see us," reveals Selders, a Dogfish Head employee since 2007. "We feel like we've definitely helped put Sussex County on the map."
Because of this economic impact, as well as the community-minded philosophy of the company and the fact that it's always been locally owned and operated, the Oldfather Group is proud to feature Dogfish Head Brewery today in our latest online business feature.
Much like tech startups that you hear about in southern California, one thing employees of Dogfish Head like to do is have fun. I mean, have you noticed the cool titles some staff members have, like VP of Happy Customers and Brewing Ambassador?
Having fun on the job is something the company actively encourages, in the right place and at the right time of course.
Some of the perks that come with an honest day's work at any of the company's sites (the brewery in Milton, Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats on Rehoboth Avenue, Chesapeake & Maine and the Dogfish Inn in Lewes) may come as a surprise to many.
Our personal favorite comes about every payday, and it's certainly an added bonus that makes working at Dogfish Head just a little bit sweeter - literally! Every time paychecks get handed out, each employee also gets to take a case of beer home with him or her. That's every payday, every month, all year long.
"That's definitely a great perk to working here," says Selders with a chuckle. "And if we can't get through all of our payday beer, we always have some thirsty friends who can help us out."
Other interesting elements of working at Dogfish Head include working as a team once a year on a Sussex County Habitat for Humanity home, holding retreats and other team-building activities and often conducting meetings in the always cool and somewhat unusual Steampunk Treehouse, located on the grounds of the Milton brewery.
Even from it's humble beginnings, Calagione and his team have always been big supporters of the local community. Mariah Calagione, the matriarch of the Dogfish empire, is the daughter of the late media mogul Tom Draper, and her family has always been very involved in campaigns and projects that will better serve the will of the greater community.
Most recently, the company donated a large number of items from the iconic Rehoboth Avenue Brewpub (where it all started years ago) to the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company. The items were raffled off, with a total of $7,800 raised for the good work being done by the fire department and it's ladies auxiliary.
