Anthem Journal: Profiles

Willie Blazer and his wife, Robin Blazer, are small business owners of Willie’s Distillery in Ennis, Montana. These days, their problem isn’t how much they can sell, it’s making enough for their growing demand. This success did not come easily, and Willie’s path to distilling has included plenty of plot twists and detours. 

The community of Southern Pines in North Carolina didn’t have a single brewery...that is until Micah Niebauer and his two friends decided to make it their project to open one. In October of 2014, Southern Pines Brewing Company had its grand opening with no employees and just a few wholesale accounts. Now it’s thriving at two separate locations, but its original motto of “rooted in community” still holds strong.

Rob Gully grew up in the coastal mountains of northern California. He fell in love with the guitar early in his teenage years but felt the only sure path to getting a good education and living a life of adventure was through the military. After retiring from the Army, it wasn’t until much later that he started his own business, Ripcord Guitars.

Greg Putnam spent nine years of active duty as a US Navy SEAL stationed out of Hawaii before making the decision to return to the Rocky Mountains with his family. After his time in the service, he dabbled in the private sector as the business manager of Ascent Vision before changing course and setting in motion something he’d been toying with for years - owning and operating a cattle ranch in Montana.