Business Over Beer episode 110 with Gus Farah | Executive VP of Operations for the Ridgefield Raptors

"Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack"... because we're going out to the ball park with Gus Farah, Executive VP of Operations for the Ridgefield Raptors baseball team. 

In this episode, Gus shares with us that he was born in Cuba and his family relocated to Portland, OR when he was a young child. Professionally, he spent 17 years running the revenue generation side for five CBS Radio Stations in Portland. Also, he ran sponsorship sales for the Portland Trail Blazers before joining the ownership group of the Raptors. 

The West Coast League that the Raptors play in, along with the the Cowlitz Bears that Gus and his partners also own, has expanded by five teams for the 2022 season including several teams in Canada, showing that this is a great way to build community around baseball and to give a professional level development for college players. 

The Raptors are committed to affordable family friendly entertainment for all of Southwest Washington and bringing the joy of baseball to new generations of players and fans.  

Prost!

Episode Highlights:

0:48 Introductions

3:57 50,000 foot view of the Ridgefield Raptors

6:28 The beer portion of the program

8:26 What makes baseball a great sport

10:25 Why players come to the West Coast League

14:15 Gus' Background

17:30 The business side of things

20:53 Appealing to the younger generation 

24:50 Angie's Mystery Beer

30:00 Baseball in the Pacific Northwest

34:33 Commitment to the game of baseball

39:40 Advice for other small business owners

44:27 The Final Question

46:08 Contact Info

47:27 Wrap Up

Guest Beer:

Belching Beaver Brewery - Oceanside, CA

Peanut Butter Milk Stout, 5.3% ABV, 30 IBU

"Don’t let the dark color fool you, this beer is delightfully easy to drink with cascading aromas of roasted peanuts, dark chocolate and coffee. Good times to you my friend, and welcome to the beaver family!"

Angie's Mystery Beer:

Wild Ride Brewing - Redmond, OR

Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter, 6% ABV, 18 IBU

"We love beer. And we love peanut butter. And Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter is here to bring the best of these two worlds together! With notes of chocolate and caramel, this porter is complemented by the addition of creamy peanut butter flavor. It's a true liquid peanut butter cup, and it's here for you to enjoy."

Episode Links:

Ridgefield Raptors

Gun Farah

Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex

West Coast League