Electric Brew owner Bontrager honored
GOSHEN — Myron Bontrager has been honored with a Heart of a Hoosier Award for his years of serving Elkhart County through The Electric Brew and providing the community a place to gather.
For almost 30 years, The Electric Brew has focused on providing Elkhart County communities with great coffee and a place to gather, according to state Rep. Joanna King, R-Middlebury, who presented the award.
In 2007, Myron and his wife Dana purchased The Electric Brew in Goshen. Since purchasing the company, the coffeehouse became Fair Trade Certified, Myron began roasting coffee and the Bontragers opened multiple locations in the area.
'Myron and his wife Dana have passionately served our communities with not only fabulous coffee but also created a place where residents and visitors can feel welcome,' King said. 'The Bontragers certainly have the heart of a Hoosier, and I congratulate Myron on all of his years of service. I am grateful for The Electric Brew and wish Myron the best of luck in his retirement.'
In 2015, The Electric Brew opened another location in downtown Elkhart. The coffeehouse was also named an Indiana Main Street Business of the Year. The award is given to the owners and employees of a Main Street business who have led their community's revitalization efforts through such activities as innovative business or marketing strategies and leadership of downtown business organization. Recently, The Electric Brew opened a third location, which is at the Ivy Tech Elkhart Campus.
King said The Electric Brew uses direct trade, or relationship coffee, to give more fair and ethical treatment to coffee growers. Relationship coffee is an opportunity to source green coffee directly from the producers, allowing them to receive more money than they normally would. She said this allows the coffeehouse to build relationships with the people who grow the coffee beans and can chat with them about their harvest, innovative cultivation techniques and learn how they are giving back to their own communities.
In 2022, King established her Heart of a Hoosier Award to recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals and local businesses that exemplify kindness, courage, thoughtfulness and transformative involvement in House District 49.
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