UpFront: New Glarus brewery president confident on economy

Deb Carey, founder and president of New Glarus Brewing Co., said on “UpFront with Mike Gousha” that she’s optimistic about the future of the economy.

She said she feels good about the economic recovery, state of the stock market and the jobs market.

While some companies are holding back, she said her brewery is hiring because she wants to continue making beer in an economical manner without overburdening employees with excessive overtime.

But she did express concern over political uncertainty.

“I do share the concern that I think both sides need to be able to work together and that the uncertainty of what’s going to happen to your business every time there is an election cycle gets to be very, very old,” Carey said on the program, produced in conjunction with WisPolitics.com.

Carey recently met with President Obama to discuss small business and was a guest at the “State of the Union” address. But she also noted she attended a speech with former President George Bush to receive a regional entrepreneur of the year award and has supported and donates money to candidates on both sides of the aisle.

“That’s the way the game is played in this state,” Carey said. “It is unfortunate, and I think it’s sad, and I wish it would change. But you have got to contribute to both sides.”

She was diplomatic when asked about Walker’s business record, saying that Tommy Thompson was the last governor who was really good to small breweries and not much has changed since then.

Carey, who has been mentioned as possible gubernatorial candidate, said she’s not interested.

“I would rather be boiled in oil,” she quipped. “I think it’s a quicker and less painful death.”

But she said she’s a “street fighter” with “thick skin,” and it is not the acrimony keeping her away.

“I am pretty darn busy at the brewery,” Carey said. “And, quite frankly, people would be really upset if all of a sudden there were restriction on the availability of Spotted Cow.”

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