Description: Cleveland-based entrepreneur Tom Lix found a way to produce quality whiskey in a fraction of the normal time. He sees this as one step toward restoring the balance of trade between the United States and foreign competitors.

Source: T. Breckenridge, “Startup Company’s Speedier Process for Making Whiskey Could Life Cleveland’s Spirits,” The Plain Dealer

Date: July 22, 2010

Article Link: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/07/startup_companys_speedier_proc.html

Questions for discussion:

1. Conduct a SWOT analysis for Cleveland Whiskey. How does your analysis look? Is Mr. Nix positioned for success?
2. Using Porter’s Five Forces Model, analyze the distilled spirits industry. Is this an attractive industry for Cleveland Whiskey? Why or why not?
3. The article characterizes what Mr. Nix is doing as innovation. What do you think? What type of business innovation might this be?
4. What innovation roles does Mr. Nix fulfill?