The Georgia craft beer industry is in the midst of a relative boom. There are now 36 active breweries in the state, and that doesn’t account for the nearly one dozen brewpubs, too.

Craft beer has become not only a big business; it’s become a legitimate jobs producer. In 2012, the then 29 active breweries directly employed more than 1,650 people. That number has only gone up as more breweries have opened and existing breweries have expanded.

Creature Comforts, out of Athens, has become one of the more popular labels in the state. It recently announced it would expand to a second location in Athens, when it had previously looked to North Carolina as a potential landing spot for a new facility.

I exchanged emails with Creature Comforts’ co-founder and CEO Chris Herron on what the future holds from a jobs and economic development standpoint and why they chose to stay in Georgia for a new development.

What has changed about the Georgia craft brewing industry the most from the time Creature Comforts opened its doors to now?

The biggest change is the laws allowing for greater consumer interaction and engagement inside a brewery’s walls. From SB67 and the changes to the tours to now SB85, it really cannot be overstated how impactful these changes are to helping breweries connect better with consumers, to generate value for the breweries, to create jobs, and increase tourism.

Why Georgia? Why didn’t Creature Comforts open in North Carolina, for example, where the industry was far more entrenched and, frankly, the state government was more amenable? 

For us it is because we are all from Georgia. This is our home, and we always wanted to help be a part of the solution and support our state in creating positive change.

How many people does Creature Comforts employ? How has that number changed since it opened? 

We have 25 full-time employees and about 30 part-time employees. When we opened we had 5 full-time employees and about 20 part-time.

With the announced expansion in Athens, what does that mean from an employment standpoint for Creature Comforts?

Over the next 5 years we will create an additional 25 new full-time jobs, and probably another 20 or more part-time jobs.

What does Creature Comforts look for in employees? What’s one piece of advice you’d give to any perspective employee? 

We look for people that are simply good people. We like to say that we can teach people how to do a job, but we can’t teach them the fundamental skills that we hope they would learn growing up, such as having a strong work ethic, or being respectful of others. We want people who are curious about the world and who are passionate about something. Luckily for us, we have been able to find people that fit these qualifications, and happen to be great at the work that needs to be done.

In terms Creature Comforts specifically, but the craft brewery industry in general, what do you think the future holds in Georgia? 

A lot more breweries, but in particular a lot more small breweries that are more “lifestyle” breweries we see in other states, but that have really been impossible to make work with the laws previously.

With the news coming out of the Capitol that craft breweries can sell directly to consumers, what effect does that have on future prospects? 

We will hire more people and invest more into our brewery and our community.