Baker Tilly adds two advisors to its Craft Beverage practice

To tap into the expanding demand from the craft beer segment, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause has added additional expertise. Noah Randall joins as a Director, previously at craft beer brewer Sixpoint, and is to grow the firm’s presence in the South. Additionally, Emily Wells joins as a consultant in the firm’s Minneapolis office.

Craft beer has, in recent years, increased its market share – as keen amateurs develop their tastes and market their carefully developed products to consumer sentiment focused on tasting diversity over mass production. The US trade group Brewers Association finds that the segment continued to enjoy double digit growth into last year, up 13%, with total market share breaching 12% of the total market. Success stories, such as Camden Town Brewery, which was recently sold to AB InBev for a reported £80 million, highlights the value that a well crafted product can create – with RSM providing financial advisory for the sales process.

In a bid to support nascent success stories develop in the sector, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause is further expanding its Craft Beverage Practice with the addition of two craft beer experts, Noah Randall and Emily Wells.

Noah Randall joins the firm from craft beer brewer Sixpoint, where he was a Mid-South Market Supervisor. Previously, between 2012 and 2015, he worked at Heretic Brewing Company as Market Supervisor for the San Francisco Bay Area. He started his career as a Marketing Intern at the The KOZAI Group. Randall holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing/Marketing Management from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Emily Wells was most recently a Planning Analyst at Target, where she has worked since 2013. Her previous role at the company includes Merchandise Planning Business Analyst Intern. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Individualised Studies - Italian, Advertising, & Fashion Studies from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

In his new role at Baker Tilly, Randall takes on the role of Director in the firm’s Craft Beverage Division, adding brewery sales and operations experience to the mix, while Wells joins as Consultant, bringing inventory planning and sales trends to the firm’s capacity. Randall is stationed in Tennessee, expanding the firm's presence in the South, and Wells is stationed in the firm’s Minneapolis office.

Scott Ebert, Baker Tilly Partner and leader of the firm’s Craft Beverage practice, says, “The craft brewing industry is experiencing rapid growth across the country. As the industry evolves, so does our team. We continue to expand our service offerings through the addition of professionals with the experience to address the ever changing needs of our clients. Noah brings a local presence to a new market for us, while both he and Emily provide data-driven expertise, tactics and strategies that are instrumental for breweries hoping to expand their reach.”