Tom Stiner was born and raised in Wabasha, a town known for the movie “Grumpy Old Men.” Tom is nothing of the sort. He is a team builder.

 

By: Living a Stout Life

 

About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)

We are a collective of craftsmen devoted to making exceptional malt. We are innovators, designers, scientists, farmers, brewers and artists. We are your link from farm to beer, and we want you to know us as a vital part of the craft beer community. 

 

Malting is our Passion. Quality is our Promise.

 

Meet Tom Stiner

Born and raised in Wabasha, a town known for the movie “Grumpy Old Men,” Tom is nothing of the sort. Instead, he’s the guy that goes out of his way to ensure that his friends have everything they need to have a good time in a place he loves.

 

And that kindness extends into his work life. Working at the Winona plant, a mere 30 miles from Tom’s hometown, since 1982, Tom has been dedicated to quality malts. But more than that, he is dedicated to his entire team at the Winona Plant and Malteruop.

 

Spending his entire life in northern Minnesota, Tom has a strong sense of place, and values teamwork in all that he does. A young athlete, he loved high school sports. Maybe that’s where his dedication stemmed from. Or maybe it’s the mere fact that he is surrounded by a place he loves.

 

“There’s many beautiful places in the world, and this area – the beauty of it – is as good as anywhere else.”

 

Wherever it originated from, here at Malteurop, we’re grateful for it.

 

What is your educational background? 

With over 40 years of experience in both the agricultural and malting industry, Tom’s education comes directly from hands-on experience. Working his way up from cleaning railcars, he ultimately performed every job in the plant, becoming a part of the management team in 1999 as an elevator supervisor.

 

But this journey up the ladder didn’t come easy. To enhance his computer and technological skills, he enrolled in vocational-tech classes. To learn all he could about malt, he engrossed himself in Malteurop’s intensive malting courses. And to embed himself in the culture of the malthouse, he didn’t aim to solely become the Plant Manager – his goal was much greater than that – it was to be a part of a team.

 

In 2002, he became Winona’s Assistant Plant Manager. In 2015, Malteurop continued to recognize Tom’s dedication and knowledge. He was made Winnipeg’s Plant Manager, where, in less than a year, he created a trusted team of employees.

 

Not one to be gone long from his home town area, Tom resumed his post becoming Plant Manager at the Winona Plant, alongside the Winnipeg Plant. For five years, Tom managed both.

 

Today, you’ll find Kevin Kull at the helm in Winnipeg and Tom in Winona. Both are dedicated to crafting the quality malts that have come to be expected from any Malteurop malthouse. 

 

“I’ve done it all at the Winona plant that’s for sure. I’ve worked every job and I’ve done it all.”

 

How did you decide to be a plant manager for a malting company?

But, believe it or not, malting was not Tom’s first choice. Working in the lumber industry at a young age, he had plans after high school to be a lumber grader. 

 

But as plans often do, they changed when Tom heard about a well-paying job at the local malthouse. We’ll let him tell you how he landed that job fresh out of high school.

 

“I couldn’t see myself standing on lumber the rest of my life, so I thought I would take a look. So I stalked the hiring person and told him, ‘I’m your next employee,’ and was hired on the spot.”

 

Being in the agriculture industry working for family in grain elevators at the ripe young age of 12, his on-the-spot hiring story comes as no surprise to us.

Tom may have started in the malting industry because wages were good, but we had to know why he stayed.

 

“Malteurop has always been good to their employees and has always been a good employer. It’s that and, for me, the ability to learn and move into different roles. That’s what keeps me here.”

 

He goes on to say, “Malteurop is a great company to work for. They care about their employees. The wages that we pay and the benefits we pay represent that. I think that’s important to be said.”

 

What does your average day look like?

It’s also his day to day tasks that keep him motivated in his decades at the Winona Plant. 

 

Beginning his day at five a.m. so he can meet with his third shift employees is not a requirement, but it’s one way Tom builds rapport with every single one of his employees.

 

Meeting with the management team soon after, they work together to plan what’s being loaded and produced that day. They also work together to continually plan for the future, working on yearly and long term goals, ensuring that each goal is being addressed and met.

 

Another integral piece of Tom’s day to day operations involves safety. And safety isn’t just a word at Malteurop, it’s a culture.

 

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To learn more about Malteurop’s safety culture, click here.

 

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“Every shift, we talk safety; every task, we look at safety. We have monthly meetings with safety. We discuss the happenings in the plant. We list things to improve and abide by that list and everyone has an input. The union guys all the way to management.”

 

And before Tom heads home to his family at the end of the day, he makes time to meet with the next shift coming in. Again, building rapport with every single employee. Creating a team environment throughout the entire plant.

 

“I think that the group I work with here is outstanding in Winona, all the way from the guy sweeping on the floor up to my supervisors. We all work well together. That stands out to me.”

 

What are some of your career accomplishments?

Not only does his team stand out to him, but what he has accomplished in both the Winnona plant and the Winnipeg plant – those too, are accomplishments Tom is very proud of.

 

His efforts in working with the employees at Winnipeg resulted in a management team that is now second to none, albeit, equal to his other management team in Winona. Overseeing the building and implementation of Winona’s bagging plant, crafting both quality malts and community is a natural fit for Tom.

 

He’s also worked on large projects involving getting new equipment, such as heat exchangers, into the Winona plant, helping to fine tune malts and keeping the quality consistent.

 

And at both the Winnipeg and Winona plants, Tom has successfully transitioned aging infrastructure into strong and productive facilities, laying the groundwork for future additions as needed to maintain the quality that is expected of all products coming out of Malteurop malthouses.

 

How do you work with others at MMC to get your partners what they need?

Malteurop is known for its malts, as they should be. But they are also known for their willingness to go above and beyond to ensure that their partners get exactly what they need. 

 

And since Tom heads up the Malteurop plant that is home to 18 different malts, going above and beyond is simply what Tom and the entire team at Winona and Malteurop do every day.

 

Winona is where the specialty malts are fine tuned on a large level. And Tom is at the helm of making sure those malts are dialed in, ensuring that MMC’s partners get exactly what they need.

 

“It’s a team effort from lab to sales to plant to brewer.”

 

Where do you see the future of malting heading?

Tom can clearly see his team working diligently to craft the highest standards of malts, and he has a positive outlook for what is to come, especially in the Winona Plant. 

 

“For the Winona plant, the future’s in the craft industry and the specialty malts.”

 

What’s your favorite style of beer and why? 

Speaking of the future of malts, we had to know more about what malts Tom enjoys as a finished product.

 

“I’m a lager drinker. I’m not a big IPA guy. I do drink stouts, but I really like lagers. I’m a traditional type of guy.”

 

What beer is in your fridge currently?

Being a traditional type of guy with a love for lagers, you might think we were surprised at what he keeps in his fridge, but we were not.

 

“I try to have beer for everybody that comes to my house in my refrigerator. I’ll take you on the boat and give you some beers.”

 

We’d be surprised if that wasn’t Tom’s answer. 

 

So what beers does he have in his fridge? Making an appearance in Tom’s fridge are the following: Two Hearted Ale from Bell’s, an Italian beer, a few Busch Lights, Bud Lights, some Sam Adams, and Fat Tire from New Belgium.

 

Knowing Tom, if you were heading out on the boat with him, he’d probably get you whatever beer you’d like. He’s that kinda guy.

 

Who are you outside of work? 

A team player both at work and outside of work, Tom is a family man first and foremost. 

 

“I’m – number one – a father. A father, a grandfather, and a husband. Baseball is a passion of mine. I’ve coached high school baseball and basketball for over a decade. I love sports, I love fishing, I like hunting, and I love my family. We do everything together.”

 

In the end, that’s what it’s all about – a team. A great family at home and a great family at work.

 

Cheers. To the farmers. The maltsters. The brewers. The Innovators.