About Us - Montana Craft Malt :Montana Craft Malt

For too long, craft brewers and distillers have been denied a seat at the table in terms of sourcing quality malts, due to a supply chain controlled by corporate brewing conglomerates focused on yield over flavor – which has subsequently limited the true potential of craft producers.

So now we – along with our craft brewing and distilling collaborators – are stirring things up. With an engaged, personal approach focused on partnership, our mission is to give craft producers more of a voice (and more choice) in the development of new products and flavors. Whether a startup entrepreneur or an industry leader, our aim is to work with those who both appreciate tradition and embrace innovation.

Herein lies the freshest approach to exceptional malts.

Our aim is to work with those who both appreciate tradition and embrace innovation.

Meet the Team

When the sun comes up over the Big Snowy, we’re already hard at work: on a constant mission to help craft more flavorful beer, spirits and foods.

Our people have big ideas and a bold vision to transform the craft malt business. We’re curious minds and tenacious problem-solvers, intent on doing good business with good people. Steeped in skills and experience, our team shares an unapologetic ambition to create and share the world’s best malts.

Lee

President & General Manager

Lee

President & General Manager

Lee Shanahan joined Montana Craft Malt in July of 2024 as President and General Manager. Lee hails from Palmer, Alaska and enjoys many commonalties between Montana and Alaska in terms of values, pride, work ethic and community. A graduate of the University of Vermont, Lee brings over 20 year’s Sales and Marketing experience in the domestic, import, and craft beer industries. Lee’s career began at Miller Brewing Company and includes valuable time with Diageo-Guinness USA, and commercial leadership roles with Craft Brew Alliance and The Brewers Collective (AB InBev’s craft division).

Lee uses his wealth experience to drive the vision of Montana Craft Malt to provide the highest quality experience for our teammates, breweries, distilleries, distributors and partners in both our products and our interactions. Integrity, collaboration, and quality are core values for Lee and he works each day to achieve the highest standards of each.

Lee enjoys time with his spouse, Charlene, ]their twins, Calle and Declan, and Boston Terrier, Mookie. The common thread throughout Lee’s life is the game of hockey. As a player, fan, and now coach of an all female youth team. When away from work you’ll likely find him at a rink, coaching, watching or playing and when time permits, at a golf course.

Lee is humbled by the opportunity to lead the team at Montana Craft Malt. The passion and pride that each teammate exhibits on a daily basis is inspiring and motivates him to introduce the MCM products to brewers and distillers across the country.

Jake

Sales Rep - Montana

Jake

Sales Rep - Montana

As Montana Craft Malt’s Sales Manager, Jake serves as an ambassador to the brewing community, dedicated to spreading the word about MCM’s top-quality malts and providing exceptional service to his customers.

Jake has deep roots in Montana, where he is a fifth-generation farmer, owning a successful hop farm in Bozeman. With over eight years’ experience in the brewing sector, Jake is well-versed in all aspects of beer production from grain to glass. He brings an engineer’s mindset to his craft, always looking for ways to improve and innovate in the industry.

When Jake is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, gaming, and exploring the beautiful outdoors of Montana.

Andy

Regional Sales Rep - Mountain West

Andy

Regional Sales Rep - Mountain West

Andrew Causey joined the MCM team in December of 2024. Andy has storied experience in the production & sale of ingredients and service & product of the craft beverage community. He is committed to spreading the joy of quality malt and is passionate about craft. Andy believes Montana Craft Malt is a fantastic community that provides an opportunity to expand the market with the highest quality malt produced regionally.

Andy’s craft journey began in homebrewing, business development in a brewing supply business and a distillery, and as a national territory manager for one of the largest brewing and distilling suppliers in the country. Even more so, Andy has credit in co-founding the Colorado Distillers Guild and teaching brewing at Arapahoe Community College.

When not assisting beverage producers, Andy enjoys traveling with his family in the Colorado outdoors and works with flavors in his home kitchen.

Cory

Regional Sales Rep - Pacific Northwest

Cory

Regional Sales Rep - Pacific Northwest

Cory Pizzuto joined Montana Craft Malt at the beginning of 2025. Cory has spent his entire life in the Greater Seattle area. A University of Washington graduate, Cory spent over 15 years as a restaurant owner and Chef in Seattle. It was there he learned the value of customer service, hard work and what it means to be the face of a business, all traits he brings to MCM.

After selling his restaurant in 2018, he joined AB-InBev Sales in Seattle and most recently with Elysian Brewing where he could focus on bringing high quality craft beer from the brewery to the consumer. Washington and Oregon customers will enjoy his personalized service level and ownership mentality with MCM.

When not at work, you can find Cory playing soccer, watching sporting events or enjoying the great outdoors with all the Pacific Northwest (and Montana!) have to offer. Cory, his wife Jeni, their two kids and dog love to travel and see new places.

Bryan

Director of Malt Operations

Bryan

Director of Malt Operations

Being the Head Maltster for MCM since 2020, Bryan has molded his role into Director of Malt Operations. He is responsible for malt quality, developing new products, production output set forth in budgets, maintaining consistency in all products, and giving instruction and training to the assistant maltster(s). Bryan's passion for traditional European-style malts is evident in MCM’s outstanding product offering. His amazing palette ensures that Montana Craft’s European-style malts stand up against the best imports.

Bryan's journey began at Argilla Brewing Co in Newark, Delaware, where he worked as a brewer for three years. From there, he moved on to a four-year stint at Cargill Malt in Spiritwood, North Dakota where he became a maltster. His next stop was Stone Path Malt in Wareham, Massachusetts, where he spent three years honing his craft.

Outside of work, Bryan keeps himself busy with a variety of hobbies. He enjoys playing tennis, pitching in to help Jake Teselle at his hop farm during the summertime, working the canning line at MAP Brewing, grabbing a beer with his friends and colleagues after work, and visiting breweries both locally and wherever his travels take him.

With 10 years of experience in brewing and malting, Bryan brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role as Director of Malt Operations. He also holds a finance degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bryan is a proud member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA), having joined the association in 2016.

Mike

Plant Manager

Mike

Plant Manager

Meet Mike Clark, our Plant Manager. With over 13 years of experience in the mining industry, Mike is a seasoned professional who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our operations. As the Plant Manager, Mike is responsible for overseeing all aspects of our plant, ensuring that production runs smoothly and efficiently. His keen eye for detail and strong leadership skills make him an invaluable asset to our team with safety being his number one priority!

Before Mike’s mining career, he was a diesel mechanic in the Army for six years. Throughout his career in mining, he helped mine sites achieve remarkable safety records and meet production goals over and over. Mike has demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous improvement. He consistently seeks innovative solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact.

But Mike's role goes beyond just overseeing production. He is a true leader, inspiring and motivating our dedicated team to reach new heights of excellence. Mike fosters an environment of collaboration and innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible in craft malt production.

When Mike is not busy overseeing operations, he enjoys spending every moment he can with his wife and kids. He loves to explore the great outdoors and is an avid hunter.

With his extensive experience, unwavering dedication, and strong leadership qualities, MCM can be confident in its ability to achieve operational excellence, maintain a strong safety culture, and drive sustainable growth in the malt industry. Ensuring that every sip of beer brewed with our craft malt is an experience to be cherished.

Jen

Co-Founder

Jen

Co-Founder

Jen O’Brien, Co-Founder of Montana Craft Malt, is a woman on a mission. A proud Montana native with an affinity for agriculture, she came to MCM to carry on the legacy of her father, Ron Ueland, the founder of the company.

Jen's background includes extensive experience in business analysis, sales operations, and brand strategy. A University of Washington graduate, Jen has a degree in accounting with a marketing emphasis. She began her career as a business analyst at The Washington Post from 2000 to 2003 before spending almost a decade at Google in global sales operations and business development. During her time at Google, Jen gained valuable experience guiding large brand names to establish and manage brand positions across technology, healthcare, and professional services industries. After leaving Google in 2012, Jen founded her own brand strategy consulting firm, where she continued to guide companies in managing and establishing brand positions.

It was Jen's love for her home state and her commitment to her father’s vision that brought Jen and her family back to Montana. Taking on the leadership of Montana Craft Malt, Jen has dedicated her efforts to growing the company's business and building its quality reputation both domestically and internationally while preserving the values that make Montana such a special place. Her approach has led to a strong and tight-knit organization that contributes to the local economy and is fully integrated with the surrounding community.

Despite her busy schedule, Jen still finds time to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with her family. For her, it's all about balance, and finding ways to recharge and stay connected with the people and places she loves.

Alayna

Office Manager

Alayna

Office Manager

Alayna, Office Manager at Montana Craft Malt, has had an eclectic career path. She has worked as a pizza cook, casino runner, bartender, car saleswoman, and even a UPS package delivery driver. It was a coworker's departure from UPS to become an operator at Montana Craft Malt that sparked her interest in the company. After learning about malt and its significance in the brewing and distilling industry, she was intrigued by the malting business and the opportunity she saw at MCM. Alayna initially applied for an operator position and instead was offered the Plant Administrative Coordinator role due to her educational background. She has since evolved into being the Office Manager.

Alayna has an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting and Business Technology/Business Technology from Helena College University of Montana and a Certificate of Applied Science in Entrepreneurship. She puts her education to work handling MCM’s administrative functions, logistics, and marketing.

Off the clock, Alayna enjoys attending live music events, spending time with her dogs in the outdoors, and cooking. She periodically cooks celebratory dishes for the MCM crew in honor of the hard work they do. Alayna is thrilled to be working with an amazing team and looks forward to a bright future with Montana Craft Malt.

Kody

Office Dog / Door Greeter

Kody is our oh so loyal office dog of Montana Craft Malt. His daily duties are sleeping under mom's desk and only waking up to the sounds of new guest coming through the front door, begging for treats from our mail delivery drivers, and checking the break room floor for surprise goodies from our employee's lunches.

Kody

Office Dog / Door Greeter

Where the Magic Happens

From saloons that quenched the silver mining era to our rebellious relationship to Prohibition and early embrace of the independent craft beverage movement, Montanans have always enjoyed a great life with a great drink.

Our state-of-the-art facility produces 10,000 tonnes of malt annually, with the capacity for full production scale as well as small batch trials. Spanning more than 50,000 sq. ft. on nine acres, we are strategically positioned at the intersection of two interstate highways and a railway spur, assuring the supply chain from our growers through to our customers.

We have the scale and flexibility to produce the small batches innovative producers desire, while assuring a consistent and ready supply of staple products.

And our forward-thinking spirit is built right into our facility in our Innovation and Resource Center, which, in conjunction with the Montana State University Barley and Malt Quality Lab, serves as a precision test kitchen for customers and collaborators to work with us to coax new malt flavors from premium quality grain.

explore Our Products

Located in Butte, Montana Craft Malt embraces our Western heritage, and our locale’s worthy relationship to good beer and whiskey.

Why Montana?

Today, Montana maintains its heritage as being among the best climates on the planet for growing barley. Montana sees minimal crop disease, and benefits from the pristine aquifers that find their sources in the Rocky Mountains. Our growers employ sophisticated techniques – with the help of experts from Montana State University’s Barley Breeding Program – to innovate and expand their farming operations.

And what does all that mean for beer and spirits enthusiasts? Our engaged brewer and distiller network is pushing the proverbial pint forward in offering some of the most nuanced and refreshing concoctions you’ll find anywhere around here.

from butte to billings, towering grain elevators loom above small towns and rambling cities. These stately structures tell the story of Montana's history as the world's foremost producer of barley and wheat.