A Business Plan for Wheat State Distilling
David Bahre, Wamego, Kans., defended his thesis, “A Business Plan for Wheat State Distilling,” on November 13. Bahre is the CEO of Bahre Investments Inc. He is a fall graduate from Kansas State University with a Master of Agribusiness (MAB) degree.
The micro-distillery trend is growing across the U.S. At the same time and despite the recession, sales of distilled spirits for home use have increased for the twelfth year ins a row. Due to the opportunities these trends present, Bahre launched Wheat State Distilling.
Wheat State Distilling is an artisan distillery, manufacturing and selling premium hand-crafted spirits made with wheat from the region. Wheat State Distilling distills premium vodka, whisky, bourbon, rum, gin and liqueurs and a luxury line of reserve products.
“Distillers outside of Kansas own the market share of products made from Kansas wheat in this state,” Bahre said. “Wheat State Distilling has an opportunity to claim part of this market share by producing quality spirits made with local ingredients.”
Bahre developed a business plan for Wheat State Distilling for his Master of Agribusiness thesis project. The plan addressed all facets of the business from financing to operations, marketing, products and future growth.
Dr. Kevin Gwinner, Professor of Marketing and Bahre’s thesis advisor, said. “It is rewarding to see how the results of this thesis can be immediately put into use in launching a Kansas-based business. David's work provides him with a very solid foundation for business growth in the future.”
