Genesee: Made for the Trade, Volume 8

Campaign highlights variety and quality of jobs available at the state's oldest brewery

Note: This newsletter is a sponsored partnership between the Genesee Brewery and the Cleveland Prost.

Before this series, I didn’t know the difference between a plumber and a pipefitter. But an interview with a veteran pipefitter from the Genesee Brewery set me straight.

While both work with piping systems, a pipefitter works with metals and metal alloys (think copper and steel), while a plumber uses other tools to tend to water delivery systems.

(Thank you, Google. Please insert the NBC *more you know* gif here.)

Now that you know the difference between these two vocations, it’s pretty incredible to think about the work to maintain the miles and miles of piping inside the massive Genesee Brewery campus. When asked to estimate how many miles of pipes there might be at Genny, Don Welch just chuckled and offered, “Oh my gosh, I have no clue. I couldn’t even guess. But it’s a lot.”

And during his 17 years as a pipefitter at Genny, Welch has seen just about every corner of the campus. For most of his career, he has focused on the draft center and more recently the two keg-filling robots there.

Don Welch, who is also a member of the UA Local 13 Plumbers and Pipefitters union, is the latest Genny employee to be featured in the brewery’s Made for the Trade campaign.

The campaign shows the wide range of rewarding careers at the brewery. Genny employs more than 600 people and the brewing department, which numbers about 50 people, isn’t even the largest department at the expansive 28-acre St. Paul Street campus.

The digital campaign showcases careers in packaging, operations, maintenance, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, security, and so much more. It aims to show the range of careers available without a college degree, those that can be obtained through union and trade training.

More details about jobs can be found here: https://www.fifcousa.com/careers/.

Here’s a bit more about Don:

Q: How did you train for your job? Was it through a union, an apprenticeship, college? What prepared you for your role?

A: I went through an apprenticeship at Kodak. And then an opportunity presented itself at Genesee. The apprenticeship program was a four years of schooling. There were three years of pipefitting and one year of welding. I was a pretty young kid when I started.

Q: What are some of the tasks you perform at the brewery?

A: We take care of all of the piping in the brewery. We fix it, repair valves, running copper pipes. Any leaks that happen. We’re in a maintenance role, so we have to respond to trouble calls and diagnose what’s wrong and actually fix the problem. 

Q: What are some of the things carried through pipes at Genny?

A: Liquid, air, CO2, ammonia, everything. I can’t even imagine how many miles of pipe we look after. But it’s miles and miles. 

Q: It’s probably safe to say you’ve seen every inch of that campus, right? And how does that variety add enjoyment to your day?

A: Absolutely, it’s good. I definitely enjoy it. It’s something different every day or every week. 

Q: Any projects that you’re particularly proud of? How does it feel to come to the rescue when things might be going wrong?

A: It’s hard to say, because we’ve done so many. I can’t think of any specific projects. It’s usually pretty small stuff. We’re always on call. 

Q: What’s your favorite part about working at the Genesee Brewery? 

A: Probably the people. Everybody works as a team down here in maintenance. We have good communication down here. We’re kind of apart from the brewery (in a different building), so we have our own little team down here. And our whole building responds to pretty much all the different calls. The different trades have the same responsibilities as ours, responding to trouble calls. Us and the electricians especially, evenf though we’re different trades, we have the same responsibility to respond. 

Q: What advice would you give to someone hoping to work at the brewery?

A: We’re always looking for help, so any qualified person should apply, especially in the skilled trades. It can be hard to get to people. There are ways to learn and work your way up here.

Q: What’s your Genesee beer?

A: My favorite is the Cream Ale. I just like it. It’s good when it’s cold. It’s got to be cold. 

Q: What makes you most proud about working at Genesee?

A: It’s hard to say. I’ve been here such a long time now. I just appreciate my job.

More about this partnership

Genny wants to hire you! By highlighting the wide variety of positions available at the brewery, the hope is that folks will see a college degree isn’t a necessity for a great career. Many of these union and trade positions come equipped with opportunity for learning and advancement.

Over the next three months, we’ll highlight some of the people behind the iconic beers in this space.

“We want to continue to attract people to union and skilled trades. There is a shortage of skilled workers, and the industry needs to attract more women and minorities. There are viable career opportunities for virtually anyone who wants to work in beer,” said Mary Beth Popp, vice president of communications, FIFCO USA. 

To learn more about working at the Genesee Brewery, go to: https://www.fifcousa.com/careers/