The People of Allegheny Beverage Company

Jessica Hunter

Get to know the people behind the Allegheny Beverage Company. We shared a beer with and learned more about (from left) delivery driver Damien Farrell, sales representative Mya Papucci, and area sales manager Mike Travers.

It has been a goal of Allegheny Beverage Company (ABC) to be as progressive as possible when it comes to meeting their employees' needs and helping them grow in their careers, as well as encouraging a healthy work/life balance. Since the company came together within their brand new, state-of-the-art facility two years ago, the beer wholesaler that serves Erie and the surrounding region has created a space where employees can feel at ease, can experience true upward mobility, and develop meaningful work relationships.

ABC President John DiMario (Erie's 40 Under 40 class in 2023) believes that focusing on the employee's job satisfaction should be paramount and knows that keeping good employees takes more than an occasional pizza party — it means providing meaningful opportunities for advancement and connection.

When one thinks of a standard employee meeting room, visions of a windowless area with bad lighting and sterile office furniture usually come to mind. The meeting space at ABC, which is located at 7265 Klier Drive in Fairview, within an idyllic, expansive green meadow full of local flora and fauna, is the complete opposite of that image. DiMario explains, "This is a communal space — we didn't want it to be just a meeting room, we wanted it to feel like a cool craft brewery and to take advantage of the natural light … We came from our original location on West Grandview which was right by the highway and there was no green space, it was just all blacktop."

With a custom-designed, handmade bartop situated directly in front of open air, garage-style doors leading to a patio backed onto greenspace — the meeting room has four beers that ABC distributes on tap at any given time. And on Fridays, the employees are all encouraged to hang out after work, to have a beer, and relax by the fire pit or play a game of cornhole. DiMario reflects, "At the end of the week people from different departments come together. You know, the drivers and the salespeople might not see each other every day — then at the end of the week they can come in here, grab a beer, and catch up."

On a warm, but overcast Friday afternoon, three employees from different departments gathered in this very meeting room at the bar to unwind and talk about their experiences at ABC, what they like about working for the company, and why they love and are committed to Erie.

The workplace environment at Allegheny Beverage Company, nestled within the business park on Klier Drive in Fairview, is progressive and upwardly mobile. Owner John DiMario has taken significant steps towards making sure that his employees feel at ease and motivated with a healthy work/life balance. Photos: Jessica Hunter

Mike Travers is the area sales manager who has been an employee of the company since it was Glenwood Beer. He's seen the changes the company has made and is grateful for the positive evolution. "When someone new comes into a workplace you've been in for years, it's hard to know what to expect. When the previous owner passed away and John and his family came in from Dayton, they kept on most of the same employees — they invested a lot into this company in terms of technology to make things easier and better for us," Travers reflects. "It was a huge help, especially during COVID when there were constant inventory issues — they've really streamlined the business."

Travers is an Erie native who is committed to the area and loves to spend as much time as possible recreating within our best natural resource — Presque Isle. "I love fishing, I grew up close to the bayfront and my dad always took me fishing and it's just one of those things I've always kept up with."

At this, Damien Farrell interjects, "I didn't know that you liked to fish — I would have asked you to go fishing a ton of times if I had known that. Let's go fishing sometime!" Farrell, a soft-spoken young father of two, is having exactly the kind of employee connection that DiMario envisioned would happen within this space.

Farrell shares that, while he enjoys hanging out with the other ABC folks in the meeting space, he's not really a drinker — which is a great quality in a CDL licensed truck driver. Farrell didn't start out as a delivery driver, though, and is a perfect example of the kind of upward mobility ABC offers their employees. Farrell shares, "I started as a helper. I wanted to be a driver from the beginning but I waited for seniority and I got lucky. I've been here for almost three years and I've had my CDL (which ABC helped facilitate) for a year and a half." And with that promotion, a job turned into a career for Farrell, "I love it. I love being out on the road — I didn't want to be stuck in a building anymore, like at my old jobs. I try to get as much overtime as I can, so I can be outside as much as possible."

While on the subject of upward mobility, Mya Papucci, a sales representative, was promoted within two weeks of being hired as a sales merchandiser. Her professionalism was immediately recognized and she was able to step into a role perfectly suited to her soon after being hired on. Papucci had a goal of working for ABC for years in her previous job, and actually came to have a great working relationship with Travers before she even started at ABC. "I worked for U Pick 6 for about seven years as a bar manager there and I actually saw Mike frequently and I've known him for a while, so I sent over my resume. I knew this was what I wanted to do for about five years before I eventually applied."

For Papucci, Erie means family — which is important to her, as she sees herself as the glue that holds her family together. "Outside of work, I'm pretty athletic. I love to go to the gym and play racquetball. But really I love to just hang out with the family. I have two siblings, one who lives out of town, and I'm often the one who brings all the family together."

It can be hard to believe when someone says that their coworkers feel like family, but here at ABC, on a late Friday afternoon, that is definitely the vibe. Some of the drivers come to join in, done with their shifts for the day, the graphic design department stops in for a beer — the music is playing, everyone's chatting, laughing, sharing stories. It doesn't feel like work, and that is exactly what DiMario envisioned when he designed this new space for all the employees to enjoy, putting Allegheny Beverage Company on the forefront of progressive workplaces in Erie.

To learn more about Allegheny Beverage Company, visit alleghenybeverage.co

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