ROXANE NIELSEN – Co-owner, Prescott Brewing Company
Roxane Nielsen is co-owner of Prescott Brewing Company with her husband, John. She and her husband moved to Prescott in 1993 and put all of their resources toward opening the “brewpub.” Nielsen has a business accounting background as well as a two-year degree in bilingual/bicultural studies. She then worked for Migrant Head Start in California as a family advocate for Hispanic farm workers. She was involved with business planning for Prescott Brewing Company and was instrumental in the development of their written business plan. Born in Long Beach, California, she attended a business college for two years, studying accounting and other business-related topics.
Nielsen and her husband opened Prescott Brewing Company on March 15, 1994. She set up the books for the restaurant and did much of the office work. Before the doors opened, Nielsen spent about a year volunteering in the front office of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce – a great way to learn about a new community!
As their opening of the restaurant neared, Nielsen had to give up her time at the chamber, but has remained active in the community. She sat on the board of directors at the chamber and subsequently on the board of trustees for the Sharlot Hall Museum. She helped found the Prescott Downtown Partnership and was recently invited to serve on the newly formed Prescott Tourism Advisory Committee. She has also served on the city’s general plan committee.
Nielsen is involved in many facets of Prescott Brewing Company, which now has about 75 employees to run its operation downtown and its microbrewery production facility out near the airport. Nielsen and her husband opened the microbrewery production facility in 2011. Today, she is now willing and able to go in late and leave early!
