January 2014
| Business World Magazine | 165
Melis insists, the company’s success is the
residue that comes from a collection of peo-
ple working in a place they love (Colorado),
living a life they love (mountain biking, kay-
aking, fly fishing, etc.) and doing jobs they
love.
STARTING OUT SMALL
The tale began in 1997, when the company’s
founder, Dale Katechis, opened a restaurant
– Oskar Blues Grill & Brew – on the door-
step of the tourist-friendly Rocky Mountain
National Park in Lyons, Colo. He began
brewing beer two years later, then began dis-
tributing in 2002 to help promote the restau-
rant during the slow traffic winter months
and maintain top-of-mind brand awareness.
Outside commendations began rolling in
for the beer soon after, and a brewery was ul-
timately added in nearby Longmont, Colo.,
