Our Family
Our Family
Come meet the Alpha Brewing team! Click on a profile picture to learn more about each member of our family!
Come meet the Alpha Brewing team! Click on a profile picture to learn more about each member of our family!
Matt Rennerfeldt’s path to co-founding Alpha Brewing Operations began in 2005 following completion of his NCAA baseball career and MBA at Rockford University (Rockford, IL). In 2005 Matt moved back home to Lincoln, NE to work for a beverage packaging equipment supplier. Matt excelled in sales and business development for the organization. He developed and managed a very successful Middle East distributor and spent many months traveling throughout the GCC. In 2012 Matt authored the business plan for, and was instrumental in building a new division of the company supplying brewing and packaging equipment to the craft beer and spirits industry. He has sold, managed and continues to support dozens of turn-key brewery implementations and expansions for his customers. Matt has a passion for the business and cherishes the friendships made along the way.
“What I love about Alpha Brewing Operations is being surrounded by talented, driven professionals and fierce friends whose values truly align. We prefer the term partners over customers as we value close relationships and absolutely view their success as our responsibility.”
When not quarterbacking A.B.O. Matt is probably home playing with his three kids, or watching movies with his better half. With the occasional hall pass it’s bogey time, camping, gym, or tailgating with buds and suds… Craft suds.
Jon Marco’s path to Vice President at Alpha Brewing Operations began in 1989 having just ended his collegiate football career and earning a BA in Business Administration at the University of Nebraska. Jon walked-on to play for the Huskers and through his fire and tenacity became a starting outside linebacker and scholarship athlete by his junior season. The work ethic and integrity developed under great mentors like Coach Tom Osborne has carried Jon through his professional career. For 8 years Jon has put water treatment, bottling and packaging equipment all over the world. His travels included frequent stops in Central America, Africa and Nepal. Jon’s extensive experience in tap-house management and beverage packaging equipment manufacturing have been a recipe for his rapid success in the craft brew industry.
“I love working with craft brewers and Alpha Brewing Operations gives me that opportunity. When you love what you do and who you do it for and who you do it with, that’s unbeatable.”
When not at work Jon’s wife keeps him busy. They recently had their first child and there’s always plenty to do around the acreage. Jon put his DIY skills to work rebuilding his 1909 homestead that was originally crafted for 60 cents/day. He rebuilt the home, preserved the barn and turned a three-car garage into a home for his family of six English Setters (“the herd”). For Jon there’s no place he’d rather be than on the farm with his dogs, his lovely wife and their son.
Micah Pickinpaugh’s road to becoming an owner of Alpha Brewing Operations starts in Lincoln, NE. Born 4 years behind brother and Alpha President and enduring his torture, she graduated from Lincoln East High in 2001. Micah wasted no time entering the work force as a civilian contractor managing the benefits program for the Nebraska Army National Guard. In 2006 Micah began an 8 year stint at Norland International where her uncanny ability to organize, multi-task, manage processes and care for customers saw her rise from receptionist, to office manager, to customer service manager. Nobody wears more hats at Alpha and there’s no question of who runs the show. From financial controls, to logistics, to purchasing, she is a professional. As VP Jon Marco puts it “she’s worth her weight in gold.”
“I love the comradery here at Alpha that stems from shared values and high standards. I’m humbled by the opportunity to work with some great people and to be here for each and every client and make them feel like part of the family. Not to mention provide the best brewery equipment out there.”
When not keeping Alpha on the rails Micah cares for her dogs, cats, horses and stray, or injured animals that seem to flock to her. She can be found in the saddle around the family ranch, or through the Rockies. You might see her working sun-up to sun-down with her husband on their acreage. She loves camping, boating, and simply having a good time with family and friends
J.T. Glenn found his way to Alpha Brewing Operations through life-long friend and founder Matt Rennerfeldt. They grew up outdoors playing every sport, exploring, building forts and generally making trouble wherever and whenever possible. J.T. and his wife are passing their love for sports and the outdoors onto their 3 sons and daughter. On top of continuing to play basketball competitively, he juggles coaching and caravanning year round for basketball, baseball, football and other activities. It’s this sense of responsibility, multi-tasking ability, patience and attention to detail that makes J.T. such an asset as the project manager at Alpha.
“There’s something about someone counting on you and entrusting you with their dream, their baby, their future, whatever you want to call it that drives me to give them everything I’ve got to see it through. The relationships made and dreams realized are the greatest reward.”
It’s no wonder with this schedule why family vacation is his favorite time. Favorite places: the ocean and camping. His favorite teams: Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Royals and of course the Nebraska Cornhuskers. GO BIG RED!
James path to Alpha has been full of curves and forks in the road. Born on Cape Cod and raised in Braintree, Massachusetts, his career within the brewing industry began with his first homebrew batch in college. While the first batch was a drain-pour, James was driven to improve and make the best beer he could. His passion for brewing quickly exceeded his interest in the original career track. He volunteered for a local brewery which led to his first paid position as Assistant Brewer. Nine years later James has been through the Siebel Institute of Technology and has been co and lead brewer at a few innovative and quality-driven breweries across New England and down the east coast.
When you grow up in “Braintree” you must be smart, so James has been hired to consult and execute startup breweries. These opportunities married his engineering education and passion of brewing. He was able to use his CAD drafting prowess to design the space and his process engineering background to plan infrastructure for glycol, steam, drainage, electrical and much more to put it all together. James heard about Alpha Brewing Operations and the thought of managing and designing brewery startups and expansions full time was very appealing. He reached out to Alpha and Alpha found the missing link. He moved his wife and two little girls all the way from Jacksonville, FL to Lincoln, NE.
“Joining Alpha’s family has been incredibly fulfilling as I get to share the knowledge and experience I have acquired over the course of my brewing career and share it with those who like myself, are crafting their passion into a career. I have a unique opportunity to design incredible brewing systems, brew in dozens of breweries each year across the U.S. and continually educate myself through our customer’s experiences.”
James and his wife share a passion for brewing. They enjoy traveling to check out new breweries and hanging out with their dogs. Jame’s first assistant brewer was born in 2012 and his future cellar manager came two years later. For now his little girls are teaching James how to play with dolls.
In January of 2018, James purchased a brewery in Chicago, IL, called Urban Renewal Brewery. James will always be a part of the Alpha Family - we wish James and his family the best in this endeavor.
Before wearing his Alpha hat Vince wore many hats throughout the years. He spent his high school years working for an automotive shop, then worked construction for a couple of years then switched to the olive drab hat of the army. It was in the army that he was first introduced to what we know as the “Dinosaurs” of computers.
After the army it was suits and ties for 15 years troubleshooting, repairing and maintaining mainframe computer systems and managing huge parts inventories. Vince became involved with automation in 1993 and since then automation has been his hat of choice. He has been designing, assembling, troubleshooting and improving machine performance for over 20 years. Now Vince is applying his experience to designing and building Alpha’s canning systems, grain handling and kegging equipment and whatever new innovations are around the corner.
“When joining Alpha I was amazed at the level of technology, complexity and detail that goes into brewing and beer packaging equipment. Each day presents an exciting new design challenge. I may be the elder of the Alpha family, but I feel like a kid with a new Erector® Set.”
Vince’s favorite past times include hanging out with his 3 year old granddaughter and doing a little fishing on the weekends.
Bryson Monroe is a native son of Lincoln, Ne. After running track at the collegiate level for University of Nebraska he chose to follow through with a lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter. Through patience and perseverance he earned a highly coveted position on the Lincoln Fire Dept. When not fighting fires Bryson is a do-it-all machine in the shop at Alpha, from wiring up massive brew house control panels to building crates. After receiving a box store brew kit from his wife 2 years ago Bryson dove head first into home brewing. The smile on her face after every first sip of a new brew continues to feed that flame.
“I am often told by people how lucky I am to have two jobs in the two fields I am most passionate about. I would have to agree. I have my 5 month old first child at home, a wife who likes beer, loves me and my lawn is perfect. I hope my luck never runs out!”
Adam comes to Alpha through the Electronis Systems applied sciences program at Southeast Community College in Milford, NE. Despite his larval age of just 24, Adam’s passion for craft beer and home brewing teamed with prowess in electrical systems and programming has fueled his rapid rise to the position of director of field services at Alpha. He has successfully commissioned dozens of breweries across the country. Adam also loves being a part of the breweries first batch of beer and helping these owners learn the Alpha system.
If Adam isn’t firing up a new brewery in somewhere U.S.A., you can find him at home brewing up his own batches, or in a tree stand waiting for the thirty pointer. Favorite Beer: Cardinal Pale Ale from Nebraska Brewing Company.
Russ is Alpha’s “Jack of all trades.” His years of experience in fabrication, electrical, mechanical and customer service trades make him a well-rounded leader as our shop foreman. Russell’s skill as the Alpha grill master and his passion for craft beer further his roundness! We take full advantage of those skills whenever we can here at Alpha and we’re all a little rounder for it.
In his down time, you can find Russ riding his motorcycle, drag racing, spending time in the mountains of northern New Mexico with his wife and family, and grilling up his favorite treats while enjoying an ice-cold craft brew or two.
Luke “Skywelder” (O’Doyle for short) comes to Alpha Brew Operations from the corn rows of somewhere in East Iowa and through his passion for Craft Beer and TIG Welding! Luke can lay a bead with the best of them.
Luke is excited to be marrying his high school sweetheart this summer (2017). When he’s not under the welding shield, you can find Luke on the lake, with a fishing rod in hand. If it’s Fall season, it’s nothing but Iowa Hawkeye football! This creates a pretty low ceiling for Luke at Alpha, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
After his time in the U.S. Air Force, Toby (Ewok) spent many years in the automotive industry. Toby was looking for a change and a challenge and he heard about this place called Alpha from long-time friend Russell Brenaman our shop foreman. Toby found a home at Alpha and a new-found love for craft beer and some great material for his weekly podcast. Because Toby brings popsicles and hard-to-get craft beer frequently he has been shown favoritism by management. We tried to nickname him Toby Wan, but his resemblance to Wicket from Star Wars is uncanny, so Ewok it is.
When he is not building brew houses and canning lines he spends his free time with his wife and volunteering for non-profits, co-hosting his podcast, relaxing with their rescue pup, tinkering with his motorcycle, collecting arms and teaching as a certified fire-arms instructor.
“Alpha Brewing Operations has gone above and beyond all my expectations both in quality and service. Not only did they walk me through the entire process of purchasing my 10 bbl system but they have provided unparalleled support in setting my system up, getting me brewing and maintaining my system. Alpha will always be my first stop for all my brewing needs. Cheers!”
"It is premature to give a 5 star review, as I have not finalized the order, or received it. However, I expect nothing but the best moving forward because past interaction and communication has been great. Jon Marco has been quick to respond, very helpful, and accommodating. I recommend this company to anyone looking for quality equipment and easy ordering."
"Great service and great prices. Prompt replies."
"Didn't buy a brewhouse. Bought a few fermenters and serving tanks but service was exceptional, price great."
"Jon Marco of Alpha Brewing Operations held my hand through every step of the way of purchasing my 7 barrel fermenters. He was informative and quick about responding. The quote was reasonable, fair, and the tanks were high quality. He let me know what was going on and where my tanks were in the process (there was a delay in shipping due to a longshoreman's strike, and Jon gave me updates about the situation regularly). When the tanks arrived he answered my questions about installation and gave me good advice. Five stars, really helpful."
"Alpha went out of their way to contact me, put together a comprehensive quote and worked with us on schedule, modifications and budget. There are many quality vendors, but in the end we chose Alpha Brewing Operations because of their personal touch and their more central U.S. location (with shipping costs in mind)."
"Our 30 bbl brew system is outstanding! Alpha Brewing Ops is literally a one stop shop for brewing equipment. The welds on the tanks are excellent, they work flawlessly, and they’re beautiful. Matt and his team at Alpha have been very easy to work with and can answer most any question we throw at them. We have an ongoing relationship as we plan to order more cellar equipment to grow. We are very happy with our decision to use Alpha."
"Matt and the team at Alpha are truly awesome! After researching numerous brewhouse manufacturers, Alpha quickly emerged as the best value by a large margin: the craftsmanship of the equipment is top notch, the customer service is impeccable, and the price was exactly where we needed it to be. Every time we brew, I’m amazed at what a joy the system is to use! And I have piece-of-mind knowing that Alpha support is always there for me, now and into the future."
"I’ve worked with numerous equipment manufacturers over the years and I am pleased to say that Alpha was the first brewery equipment I’ve ordered that came in earlier than I was originally promised. The team does a great job with customer communication and the workmanship on everything was top notch. I would gladly work with and also recommend Alpha again in the future."
"Jon, I wanted to personally thank you and everyone at Alpha for the excellent support provided us so far. We brewed our first 30bbl batch on Friday (with the help of “Yankee James”) and the second on Saturday (without him J ) giving us a 60bbl fermenter full of actively fermenting Cajun Wit. We’re learning our system and I’m sure we’ll continue to improve as we go along. I hope very soon we’ll make an order for more fermenters, but for now I wanted to say - I appreciate what you guys have done to help us get to this point."
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