From: Susan Pearlstine

Date: May 26, 2014 at 1:44:06 PM EDT

To: Rep Todd Rutherford
Cc: Edwin Pearlstine, John Planty, Larry Lipov
Subject: From Susan Pearlstine... Charleston, SC

Dear Rep. Rutherford-

I will be coming to Columbia tomorrow along with my father, Edwin Pearlstine and my brother-in-
law who you probably met when I campaigned for the MUSC seat, Larry Lipov, to support
H3512 The Stone brewpub bill.

No one can speak more articulately about this bill and its detractors than my father as he has
been a past President of the SC Beer Wholesalers Association and IN FACT he was
responsible for helping write the SC 3-Tier language. My family was the largest SC Distributor
of Anheuser-Busch beers until January, 2013.

When we sold Pearlstine Distributors we recognized an opportunity to expand a brewery partner
of ours for almost 20 years, Palmetto Brewery. Palmetto was the rst Craft brewery to open in
SC but with the investment that we have poured into the facilities more jobs have been created
and sales and tax collections have increased. The General Manager, John Planty, will also be
in the state capital with us tomorrow and I look forward to you meeting him too.

The H-3512 language to allow us to open a Brewpub will create an environment of excitement
and opportunity opening the door for us to participate with other SC Breweries for a much larger,
statewide economic impact. This is not just about outside investment although we absolutely
welcome Stone Brewery. All over SC in multiple communities South Carolinians have been
hard at work plying money and effort into their Breweries. That is a stark contrast to the worlds
largest brewer A-B Inbev who ghts tooth and nail to stop any competition complaining of unfair
competition in SC. Yet they build facilities in state after state but nowhere in this state Our
state.

I empathize with my past colleagues and distributor members of SCBWA. I well remember the
pressure from major suppliers to march lockstep with their demands. We urge you to continue
to consider and also to support the bill before you. It would not have come this far in this
relatively short amount of time if it was bad legislation or bad business.

Tomorrow I hope the committee members will ask any questions they might have from those of
us who live here, work here, raise families here and as importantly commit ourselves to ongoing
public service. You only met me briey during my rst Board run but all of my family works and
gives tirelessly in our communities. My father has received the Order of the Palmetto and has
served as Commissioner and Chairmen of both the SC Aeronautics Board and Pension and
Investment Commission for multiple Governors.

In advance I look forward to seeing you again, I thank you for your commitment to our State and
please call if I can answer any questions prior to your Committee meeting.

With kindest regards,

Susan

Susan Pearlstine
Pearlstine Family Companies
Palmetto Brewery
5264-B International Blvd, #220
N. Charleston, SC 29418
843-749-2439 mobile