One of the biggest companies in Ireland is Guinness. Their symbol, the harp, is a national treasure. Everywhere I turn, I see Guinness: local pubs, billboards, and even a bridge shaped like the harp. Even on our tour to Pearse Lyons Distillery, the guide took a moment to point out the view of the Guinness Factory. It is a point of pride for the country and something the world recognizes Ireland for. When it comes to Ireland, Inc – the supportive business environment in the country – Guinness brings the countrymen together. Everyone appreciates the jobs, the Irish brand, and the history of the company.

Today I had the opportunity to tour the facilities of Guinness. On this tour, I learned a lot about the history of the company and was able to apply classroom concepts. For example, the tour discussed how Arthur Guinness sourced water for his business from the Wicklow Mountains, and was willing to fight if need be to maintain this water source. Learning about the various sourcing and creation processes for Guinness was very interesting, and reminded me of my operations management studies. A few fun facts from the tour include that Guinness owns a 9,000 year lease on the storehouse building, 232 degrees Celsius is the temperature that they roast the barley, and there is an in-depth technique used to pour a perfect Guinness. I could see all of these factors playing into my education: location decision-making, perfecting processes (kaizen), and creating a uniform experience for customers with a wholesale good. All in all, today was intriguing, educational, and fun. I can’t wait for Amazon tomorrow!