Dingman Company, Hook & Ladder, Gives Back with Every Sale

The entrepreneurial spirit is often focused on creating a successful business and building a profitable enterprise. These days, some small businesses are focusing on using part of their profitability to benefit social ventures. In addition to using the profit generated by the firm to fund growth and expansion, or simply to benefit the founders, small companies are now integrating charitable giving into their business plan. One of the ideas behind this is that the company can generate employee and customer loyalty by engaging in charitable giving that those groups can get behind. An example of a firm that has integrated charity into its business model is Hook & Ladder Brewing Co., a brewery operating out of Silver Spring, Md. Smith MBA 05 Matt Fleischer and his brother Rich have made a concerted effort to not only build a successful business, but also one that benefits local firefighting communities.

Hook & Ladder aims to aid local firefighters by donating a portion of sales to help prevent burns and improve the quality of life of burn survivors. The company mottos, A Penny in Every Pint and A Quarter in Every Case, display the Fleischer brothers philosophy of charitable giving. Through the A Penny in Every Pint program, Hook & Ladder donates $2 for every barrel of beer sold; the company has also enlisted the support of its distributors who match Hook & Ladders $2 donation. In 2006, $10,000 was donated as a result of the program. In addition, beginning in the fall of 2007, Hook & Ladder launched the A Quarter in Every Case program. As Hook & Ladder introduced bottles for retail sale, it once again partnered with distributors to make quarterly donations to the local firefighting charities. Through this program, Hook & Ladder donates 12 cents for every case sold, with its distributors matching that donation.

The Fleischer brothers business has grown from its roots. Through scholarship money awarded by the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, Matt Fleischer was able to grow Hook & Ladder into the business it is today. Fleischer credits their continued success in part to the resources of the Dingman Center and the education he received as a Smith MBA. Hook & Ladder has a goal of donating over $50,000 to local firefighter burn foundations this year, a $40,000 increase over 2006. Smith students interested in purchasing their product or making a donation can visit their Web site, www.hookandladderbeer.com, for a list of retailers that carry Hook & Ladders products, as well as information on how to get involved with the charitable giving of the company.

Hook & Ladder was featured in the Wall Street Journal in November 2007. Read more.

▓ Lettie Goodridge, MBA Candidate 2008, Smith Media Group