GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The future has become very bright lately for two adult men with disabilities who are building a business on beer leftovers, with the help of their moms.
In the basement of Central Reformed Church just outside downtown Grand Rapids, "brew bakers" Tanis Hooker and Gavin Wilcox are hard at work making thousands of Beer City Dog Biscuits.
"They love it. They have ownership of this," said Leslie Hooker.
She and Suzanne Wilcox have been friends for years. They both have adult sons with disabilities and have often wondered what their futures would look like, and what they could do for work.
"It was a need in the community and really it's a crisis, under employment (and) unemployment. And we just really wanted something where they would be part of the entire business," said Leslie Hooker.
The mothers reached out to Founders Brewing Co. President Dave Engbers with an idea: dog biscuits made from flour, eggs, peanut butter and spent grain from beer brewing.
They got it and business is booming.
Founders stepped up to provide that spent grain and community veterinarians and businesses are carrying the dog biscuits.