2. How does a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility help to attract new customers and maintain old ones? Not everyone may recognize the name New Belgium Brewery, but many people are familiar with Fat Tire beer. New Belgium founder Jeff Lebesch first began brewing beer with a roommate in his basement. Although the first attempts failed, he and his wife, Kim Jordon, continued basement brewing, even- tually creating the now famous Fat Tire-named after the tires Lebesch used to mountain bike through European villages famous for beer. The basement brewery officially went commercial in 1991, selling first to friends, family, and neighbors. A quality product, concern for employees, and commitment to environmental stewardship have led to fast sales growth, making New Belgium the third largest craft brewer in the United States. For Lebesch and Jordon, the basement brewery turned out to be a blessing. Jordon became the brewery's first bottler, sales representative, distributor, marketer, and financial planner. (Today, she is the CEO.) This, combined with the low overhead, allowed Lebesch the freedom to experiment with creative beer formulas and innovative techniques without worry about investor expectations or paying off large bank loans. New Belgium's customers are drawn to the company's care over naming, labeling, and producing its beer as much as they are by all that the brewery represents. Lebesch and his team are con- stantly coming up with new products, such New Belgium's "Skinny Dip" beer-so named for the company's involve- ment in water advocacy.