Great Falls natives open Mighty Mo Brewery in December

Casey Kingsland

Age: 36

Hometown: Great Falls

Education: Graduated from Great Falls High School and attended college at North Idaho University.

Professional career: Worked for BNSF Railway as a mechanical operator for 11 years. Co-owner of the Mighty Mo Brewery in downtown Great Falls.

Family: Wife Stacy is a physician practicing internal medicine with Northwest Physicians. The couple’s daughter is 5.

Seth Swingley

Age: 36

Hometown: Great Falls

Education: Graduated from Great Falls High School and Montana State University-Northern in Havre.

Professional career: Worked for Farmers Brothers Coffee for 11 years. Co-owner of the Mighty Mo Brewery in downtown Great Falls.

Family: Wife Bobbie is a self-employed esthetician at Bare Beauty. The couple’s daughter is 11 and their son is 1.

When longtime friends and former wrestling teammates Seth Swingley and Casey Kingsland started kicking around the idea of a micro-brewery, there were no others in Great Falls.

“I had started to do home brewing and fell in love with the craft,” said Kingsland. “Seth was ready to change careers and had the experience in sales. I wanted to do something that was hands-on, so we teamed up.”

After talking about a potential business for about two year, they created a business plan and started marketing. It took three additional years to open their doors in December.

“During the time we were planning, two microbreweries opened in Great Falls,” Swingely said. “Even though we initially wanted to be the first, it turned out better for us because we knew what to expect and the market was a lot more open to accepting local breweries.”

Mighty Mo Brewery employs 10 workers and added food, pizza, wings and salads, in March. The brewery’s beer is distributed in kegs now in Great Falls, Helena, Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre and Lewistown and the business plans to have beer canned soon.

The pair never considered opening a business anywhere other than Great Falls, where their wives have businesses and both their extended families live.

Financing was secured through Stockman Bank and the Great Falls Development Authority, which also provided advice and coaching.

“Applying for a business loan really prepares you for business because you need to convince lenders you know what you are talking about,” Swingley said. “GFDA’s help was great and they gave us tips on how to do research to prepare for that.”

The Mighty Mo Brewery hosts musicians and other events and on Mondays, nonprofit organizations can sign up for the “Raise a Pint” night. Some of the night’s proceeds from beer and merchandise sales is donated to the organization, which can present information about their cause at the brewery.

“It’s a good deal for the nonprofit and it brings people who may not have been to the Mighty Mo before in our doors, so it’s a win/win,” said Swingley. “It’s a pretty popular event. We’re typically booked six to eight weeks out.”