For help with all of those, the Pettits reached out to Southwestern Community College and Tiffany Henry, director of SCC’s Small Business Center.
The Pettits also took advantage of SCC’s craft brewing and bartending certification classes, and they even commissioned Southwestern’s advertising and graphic design students to create the Mountain Layers logo. Plus, they met with Henry on multiple occasions for confidential small business counseling.
“SCC’s fingerprints are all over this business,” Mark said while giving a tour of his brewery recently. “I can’t tell you how fortunate we were to find Tiffany. She helped us put together our business plan, she helped prepare us to get financing we needed, and she helped us connect with a network of people who were able to help us out.”
The brewery is located in the center of downtown Bryson City on historic Everett Street. The building includes a rooftop deck overlooking the Tuckasegee River and nearby mountains.
It also includes an “Honor and Remember” wall that features the American Flag, the five branches of the U.S. military and patches representing first responders of Swain County and across the country. The wall has special significance for Mark, who is retired after spending 30 years in law enforcement in Minnesota.
“When you spend so much of your life in public service, you want to serve people — even after you retire,” Mark said. “The new business is a great way to engage and interact with people and serve our local community that has embraced us.”
To learn more about SCC’s Small Business Center, contact Henry at 828.339.4426 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..