About Solon Consulting · Veteran-owned engineering firm
Built by owners, executed by operators. Trusted by the industry.
We are the only consulting firm for beverage, food, process manufacturing, automation, and federal work that is run by business owners. Our team combines extraordinary perspectives and decades of hands-on experience from the boardroom to the brewhouse floor.
01 / Who we are
The firm
Engineering consulting firm. The team behind Solon.
Our team combines extraordinary perspectives and decades of hands-on experience. With business ownership experience across the board, this engineering consulting firm delivers complete results — from business strategy through technical execution. For breweries, wineries, distilleries, and industrial manufacturers across every scale.
We don’t just advise. We execute.
50+
Years combined experience
From macro operations to craft innovation, from business ownership to technical execution — across every scale.
Owner Operated and Executed
Our decisions and methods of operation are based on the business we operate and what we do with our partners. We have genuine stake in the game at every level.
02 / The vision
Beyond traditional consulting
The Solon vision: beyond traditional consulting.
Forget consultants who just talk. At Solon, we build. Born in Austin, Texas from the shared vision of acclaimed entrepreneurs Matt Couch and Kirby Kirkconnell, this engineering consulting firm has grown into the benchmark for beverage manufacturing and process engineering excellence — with ongoing clients of all sizes across the craft beverage spectrum, federal sector, and regulated manufacturing industries.
50+ Years Combined Experience
With a combined 50+ years forging success in the heat of production and the boardroom, our team brings extensive expertise from macro operations to craft innovation, from business ownership to technical execution.
03 / Our team
People
The people behind the results.
Partner · Co-Founder
Matt Couch
Matt Couch brings a unique blend of formal education and big-brewery expertise to every project. His journey from Victory Brewing Company, an international powerhouse, to farming various craft operations including Austin’s iconic Lazarus Brewing is steeped in relentless precision and continuous innovation. His drive to improve constantly has earned him recognition across the industry, and his passion for brewing excellence fuels every Solon Consulting project.
Background & credentials
- 20+ years of hands-on brewing operations and leadership
- Experience with large national and international brewing operations at Victory Brewing Company
- Developed Texas’ craft beer scene through Lazarus Brewing and Old Gregg Brewing
- Formal brewing education from accredited UK Brewing School
- Award winning recipe developer with proven results in process and production optimization
- Expertise spanning all system sizes and orientations in all types of production plants
Partner · Co-Founder
Kirby Kirkconnell
A U.S. Navy veteran and co-founder of the renowned Austin staple Old Gregg Brewing Company, Kirby transforms challenges into triumphs. His experience turning grassroots visions into manufacturing powerhouses brings military-grade precision and startup agility to every client engagement.
Background & credentials
- U.S. Navy veteran bringing military discipline to beverage operations
- Co-founder of Old Gregg Brewing, one of Austin’s most successful craft breweries
- Proven track record scaling operations from startup to regional distribution
- Expert in production efficiency, cost optimization, and team building
- Specialist in transforming operational challenges into competitive advantages
Consultant
Jeff Young
Jeff Young brings decades of hands-on entrepreneurial experience to our team. His journey founding and building successful beverage operations provides clients with real-world insights that only come from being in the trenches — from pharmaceutical chemistry to pioneering craft sour beer production.
Background & credentials
- Graduate of the American Brewers Guild with formal brewing education
- Founder of Blue Owl Brewing and multiple successful beverage ventures
- Specializes in startup operations, business development, and market positioning
- Deep understanding of both front-of-house and production operations
- Mentor to numerous craft beverage entrepreneurs across Texas
Consultant
Andy Martinec
Andy brings over 12 years of hands-on brewing experience to Solon Consulting, having worked across multiple facets of the industry — from production brewing and recipe development to equipment installation and operational efficiency.
As a former brewery owner, he understands firsthand the challenges that come with starting, scaling, and running a beverage business, as well as managing a team and creating products that resonate with today’s discerning consumer.
Background & credentials
Andy has a deep-rooted background in food and beverage, with experience spanning hospitality operations and beverage program consulting. His practical knowledge of draft systems, fermentation science, and front-of-house flow gives him a unique ability to bridge the gap between production and guest experience.
Consultant
Trenten Relles
Trent is a dynamic hospitality leader with over a decade of experience driving operational excellence and team development in high-volume restaurants, bars, and breweries. He spearheaded Meanwhile Brewing’s growth, building from 12 to 90 employees and earning Austin’s Best Brewery recognition for 3 consecutive years.
Background & credentials
- Hospitality operations and team development specialist
- Front-of-house operations and hiring strategies expert
- James Beard Award-winning establishment experience
- Led Meanwhile Brewing’s 6-year growth transformation
- Austin’s Best Brewery recognition for 3 consecutive years
- Multi-million-dollar revenue stream development
Consultant
Brent Sapstead
Brent brings a decade of experience from Real Ale Brewing Company as Head Brewer and Production Manager to his current role as Co-Founder and Director of Brewing at Hold Out Brewing. His expertise in Gose brewing and collaborative projects earned him the 2024 GABF Bronze Medal for the “Spudweiser” collaboration with Live Oak Brewing.
Background & credentials
- Real Ale Brewing Head Brewer and Production Manager (2008 – 2018)
- Hold Out Brewing Co-Founder and Director (2018 – Present)
- 2024 GABF Bronze: “Spudweiser” collaboration with Live Oak Brewing
- Specialties: all production sizes, business management and operations
04 / Our blueprint
Values
Results, not rhetoric.
Solon Consulting was forged in the fire of real-world production. We took the hard-hit lessons, the main-event wins, and promise a simple truth. We’re not just consultants; we’re your strategic weapon in a competitive market.
01
Unbiased expertise
Decades of hands-on, award-winning brewery and beverage leadership inform every recommendation. We’ve brewed, fermented, distilled, packaged, and distributed at every scale — with no equipment vendor conflicts of interest.
02
Ownership wisdom
Our practice is based on decision making that revolves around business impact, not just confirmation bias. Every single day we operate successful businesses in the domains for which we consult.
03
Proven results
From pilot systems to 200-barrel brewhouses, from boutique wineries to high-volume beverage production, we’ve delivered measurable results — substantial efficiency gains and significant COGS reductions for every client.
05 / Why Solon
Differentiators
Real experience. Real results.
Unlike traditional consultants who’ve never worked a tank or pulled a sample, our engineering consulting firm has lived every aspect of beverage production. We have:
- Built breweries, wineries, and distilleries from the ground up
- Managed complex manufacturing facility expansions and capital projects
- Scaled operations from pilot systems to 100,000+ barrel production
- Handled regulatory challenges across multiple states and countries
- Optimized everything from grain handling to packaging lines
- Trained teams, developed SOPs, and implemented quality programs
06 / Scope
Cross-industry
Cross-industry process manufacturing expertise.
While our client portfolio prominently features craft beverage operations — breweries, wineries, and distilleries — the process engineering expertise and regulatory frameworks we have mastered translate directly across manufacturing industries. This engineering consulting firm has built GMP compliance protocols, batch processing controls, automated systems, and FDA regulatory navigation for beverage facilities that apply equally to pharmaceutical manufacturing, food processing, nutraceutical production, cosmetics manufacturing, dairy processing, and chemical process facilities. Our PLC programming, SCADA integration, thermal management systems, and utility infrastructure design expertise serves any regulated manufacturing environment. Every client gets the complete strategic partnership: business strategy, process engineering, automation consulting, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.
Our philosophy
“We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all results. Every operation has unique challenges, opportunities, and culture.”
Solon Consulting LLC · Austin, Texas
07 / Credentials
Certifications & affiliations
Certifications & affiliations.
Master Brewers Association of the Americas
Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business
Brewers Association
American Society of Brewing Chemists
Texas Craft Brewers Guild
08 / Resources
Explore further
Explore core services & resources.
Learn how our execution-focused consulting accelerates production readiness and operational performance.
Ready to build your vision?
Whether you are starting with a clean sheet of paper or looking to transform an existing operation, the first meeting is always free. Tell us where the work is.
Austin, Texas · info@consultsolon.com · 814-386-0413