Matthew Fleischer President & CEO Matt Fleischer joined his brother Rich and Hook & Ladder Brewing in 2000, shortly after its inception in 1999. After the company ceased West Coast operations, both brothers returned home to Maryland and Matt enrolled in the Entrepreneur program at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. Matt used the opportunity to take the popular beer brand and meld it with a strong business model. In the spring of 2005, after a two-and-half-year hiatus, Hook & Ladder Brewing re-launched, complete with seed funding from the University of Maryland and a successful business plan. During this period, the company developed the A Penny in Every Pint program, which donates a portion of all sales to the rehabilitation and recovery of burned firefighters and burn survivors.

Rich Fleischer Founder & Brewmaster A long-time volunteer firefighter, Rich Fleischer created Hook & Ladder Breing Company in 1999 while working in the biotechnology industry in Oakland, California. An avid home brewer with a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's in public policy, Rich decided to launch an entrepreneurial endeavor in the brewing industry after continuously receiving rave reviews of his home brews from family and friends.   For the name of his company, Rich referred back to his roots and selected the name Hook & Ladder Brewing. Rich continues to serve the community as a captain of the local fire and rescue squad in his hometown of Bethesda, Maryland.