Charleston City Paper: Inclusive SC Brewers and Distillers

Meet the SC brewers and distillers making more inclusive workplaces for those with disabilities

Lending a steel hand 

Able SC partners with more than 40 organizations statewide to drive change as part of its Hire Me SC campaign, leading to increased collaboration with local businesses like Steel Hands Brewing in Cayce. 

After Steel Hands managers expressed an interest in hiring employees with disabilities, Jordan said she connected them to the Babcock Center, a Columbia-area disabilities board. 

“(The hiring process) started two or three months after we got the canning line,” said Steel Hands packaging manager Sean Coleman, who explained that he and head brewmaster Doug Smith both had experience teaching people with disabilities. 

An Able SC representative visited Steel Hands to make sure it was a safe working environment before placing a new employee named Mike at the brewery. 

“It took Mike about two or three weeks to get comfortable, but he’s been a great employee for us. Very reliable,” Coleman said. “Our employees were excited about it. They love him and they love working with him. He has little things that he connects with with everybody.” 

A key drawback of sheltered workplaces, advocates say, is a lack of upward mobility. Coleman said additional responsibilities are a possibility for Mike, but it isn’t part of their short-term plan. 

“It would be a play-it-by-ear situation — he hasn’t expressed interest in that. At Steel Hands, if you want to grow in the business, you can do that,” Coleman said. 

Mike marked his one-year anniversary at Steel Hands in November, and the brewery plans to hire another adult with a disability in the future.

“We don’t have a timeline on it right now, but we do plan on hiring someone else with special needs within the next six months to one year,” Coleman said.