SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) has chosen Smog City Brewing Co. as his 2018 Small Business of the Year.
Founded in 2011, Laurie and Jonathan Porter opened Smog City Brewing Co. as a brewer-owned and operated independent craft brewery. For the last seven years, the company has made its mark in Southern California with creatively inspired and exceptionally balanced beers. Known for quality, diversity and complexity, Smog City beers speak to the unique melting pot that is Los Angeles County.
“Smog City Brewing Co. is a company that truly represents and celebrates diversity as the glue that makes our state and country ever more unified,” said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi. “Laurie and Jonathan Porter’s commitment to building an incredible company, a stronger community and a thriving business in the best state is a true testament to their hard work ethic and contributions.”
"We are so thankful to Assemblymember Muratsuchi for recognizing us as Small Business of the Year. As small business owners that work and live in our city, we have a unique motivation to positively impact our community through taproom activism and community engagement. We hope to inspire other small businesses to become more engaged and invest in their local communities’ too." remarked Laurie Porter upon being presented the award.
The husband and wife team bring over a decade of experience into the professional brewing experience and serve on many county and state organizations that elevate the craft beer industry. From the company’s inception, the couple has worked hard to build a company that positively impacts the local community and environment through numerous charitable and community based partnerships in the surrounding South Bay. Smog City beers have won numerous national awards over the years and while the brewery is nationally known, they rarely distribute beer outside of Southern California.
This year, Smog City Brewing Co. added a commercial recycling program and various energy efficient projects to reduce the carbon footprint of the company.
Outside of the craft brew industry, Laurie serves on the Culinary Advisory Board for Food Forward which fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce and connects this abundance with people in need. This involvement has shaped her perspective on the impact small businesses can have in their respective communities.
Laurie and Jonathan Porter accepted the Small Business of the Year Award Tuesday from Assemblymember Muratsuchi at the Sacramento Convention Center in downtown Sacramento.
In California, there are approximately 3.3 million small business owners. Small businesses employ 6.8 million people across the state - that is 49.2 percent, or nearly half – of the state’s private workforce.
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi represents California’s 66th Assembly District, which includes El Camino Village, Gardena, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance, and West Carson. He serves as Chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Aerospace. Muratsuchi is a member of the Assembly Committees on Budget, Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, Natural Resources, Utilities and Energy, and Veterans Affairs.