Portland and Gresham, Oregon's Migration Brewing has brought on industry veteran Brandon Mikel as their new General Manager. Mikel came onboard in early May and has overseen the reopening of Migration's two locations (their Lloyd Center Burger Shack is closed indefinitely) and manages all staff and pub operations.

Mikel brings 20+ years of experience in the hospitality industry and craft beer scene. Most recently Mikel was the operations manager for HOTLIPS Pizza's 6 locations and spent a period with Atlas Pizza. In the craft beer industry Mikel is known for his festival co-management at the Portland Craft Beer Festival, and owning and operating the Nano Beer Fest with Chris Rhodes. Portland Beer Week also included Mikel as a leading organizational manager in 2018 and 2019.

“We’ve known Brandon since we opened in 2010,” states CEO and Co-Founder McKean Banzer-Lausberg. “We’ve always felt that he would be a great fit for our culture, and we look forward to having him as a part of our management team for the next stage of our company’s growth.”  

Since working at HOTLIPS Pizza, Mikel started High Road Distribution in 2018 with Chris Rhodes. When COVID-19 struck, Mikel and Rhodes decided to turn operations of High Road Distribution to Rhodes, and Mikel took a step back from his role within the company. 

“With everyone feeling the financial pressure of COVID, it made sense to handoff daily operations to Chris, and for me to shift gears,” states Mikel. “I’m really looking forward to working with the Migration ownership and management team. My top priority is to help the company navigate the current COVID-19 challenges and be ready for continued growth when the timing is right,” explains Mikel. 

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Migration Brewing started in 2010 when four friends came together over a passion for craft beer and a dream of opening a brewpub. With a lot of bootstrapping, and a little luck, they have since opened three pub locations within Portland. As an award-winning brewery, the Migration team takes great pride in producing world-class beers that embrace innovation while respecting classic styles. For more information please visit one of the Migration brewpubs or email info@migrationbrewing.com.

Interview opportunities available. For more information, visit migrationbrewing.com