Bullock Distillery is a craft, family-owned distillery in the historic Elk City district of Charleston, West Virginia.
Producing vodka, barrel-rested gin, bourbon, brandy, and West Virginia moonshine, Bullock Distillery puts its name on quality as well as taste. The small business sources its limestone water from Greenbrier County offering a unique product with Mountain State appeal.
“It’s cool, clean, has all the things distillers like, and it’s just a focus on bringing that taste of West Virginia to your glass,” Tighe Bullock, chief owner and operator, said.
“They’re a great family,” Doug Spaulding, regional coordinator with the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WVSBDC), said. “They are innovative, they think out of the box, and they have a vision for the community and it’s been a very good fit for us all.”
Tighe, along with founder John Bullock, says the WVSBDC has been instrumental in helping the distillery chart through the unfamiliar territories of becoming who they are today. Because the distillery industry is still in its infancy in the state, finding the right people to help them was essential to their success.
“He helped us find the perfect accountant,” Dusta Tanner, chief financial officer, said. “They have a knowledge of distilleries.”
The relationship between Bullock Distillery and the WVSBDC also led them to a website development grant through Vandalia.
“They’ve been great to work with, too,” Tanner said.
Bullock says the addition of having the website will help the company grow, help people learn about their products, and help people see what they are truly about.
“There are so many services that we offer from business planning to load packaging,” Spaulding said. “We help connect people to different resources or lenders to match what their needs are.”
The WVSBDC helped Bullock Distillery acquire some financing as well as acted as a sounding board for their ideas. Most recently, the WVSBDC was able to assist them with getting their accounting systems up and running efficiently and an updated and vibrant website.
Bullock and Tanner say they’re appreciative of Bullock Distillery’s involvement with the WVSBDC.
“It can be scary opening up any kind of new business, especially when it’s as technical as this one,” Bullock said. “It feels good to know that there’s support within our community, but also within our state government. There’s some really sharp folks at the SBDC that are doing some really good work.”
“It has been a pleasure working with such a wonderful group of people that are appreciative of what you do and in return I am appreciative of the dedication and determination of building up the community,” Spaulding said.
WV SBDC is an accredited member of America’s SBDC, a federal partner with the SBA and a state partner with the WV Department of Economic Development.
WV SBDC business coaches have professional certifications ranging from exporting, innovation, technology and economic development, to finance, management, marketing and entrepreneurship.
For information about starting a small business in WV and resources for entrepreneurs, visit wvsbdc.com.