As a hospitality and tourism-oriented business, pFriem Family Brewers saw large revenue declines as a result of pandemic dining restrictions. The company’s wholesale business, which relies on purchases of kegs by bars and restaurants, was also impacted.

On top of these issues, at the time COVID-19 Restrictions began, pFriem was involved in a major construction expansion project. “I clearly remember asking our General Contractor to ‘pause’ the project on March 16th last year to better understand the health, economic and statutory outcomes of the pandemic,” shared Rudy Kellner, CEO at pFriem. “We felt like we needed to pause the project to get more organized around COVID-19 response.” The company resumed its expansion project in early July and completed it in the winter to the great relief and satisfaction of their employees.

According to Kellner, the Port was extremely supportive during the pandemic. “The Port was one of the first phone calls we made because we rely so much on our facility, and we needed to understand if the Port could help us while revenue dropped 85% overnight,” he said. With “outstanding collaboration” from everyone at the Port to find creative ways to help the brewery with rent obligations and cash flow, pFriem Family Brewers made it through its most difficult year yet. The Port stayed highly involved in sharing access to information and tools such as other government assistance programs and PPE for all its tenants.

The brewery tightened up scheduling during the pandemic so different teams had no overlap and employees could maintain distance to reduce the risk of an outbreak. Kellner said employees were very supportive of all of the new safety processes and understanding of the changes created by the pandemic.

As we pass the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 in the US, the company expresses gratitude for all of the community support. When pFriem closed its tasting room last March, many customers, friends and family bought gift cards and purchased from its online store to support the business. “We feel very lucky to have great partners and friends, and to live in such a loving community,” Kellner expressed.

pFriem began operations in 2012 and has steadily expanded in the Port’s Halyard building. The company also opened a support facility in Cascade Locks in 2020. According to Kellner, pFriem is currently the third largest independent craft brewery in Oregon, winning the 2018 Great American Beer Festival Mid-Size Brewery of the Year Award.