ST. MARYS — Straub Brewery Inc., a 153-year-old family-owned brewery, announced that William Brock, president and CEO and one of Straub’s largest individual shareholders, will step down after nearly two decades of leadership.

The Straub Board has announced that Vincent Assetta, the Brewery’s vice president and brewmaster, will assume the role of president, marking the first time a non-family member will lead the historic brewery, along with the continued leadership and support of Vice President of Sales, Marketing and PR Cathy Lenze and Controller and Secretary Mary Anderson.

Brock followed in the footsteps of many generations of family to manage the brewery, including his grandfather, Carl Straub as treasurer, and his mother, Patricia Brock, as board chair. Under Brock’s leadership, Straub underwent significant modernization, including the development of the Straub Campus and Tap Room, expansion of Straub’s beer portfolio, installation of its first can line, and expanded the brand’s marketing reach.

“Bill has been one of the most innovative and visionary leaders in Straub’s history,” shared the Chair of the Straub Board, Mary Sinclair. She noted, “he did this during such a dynamic, competitive time in the beer industry. He has been instrumental in strengthening the Straub legacy and creating a brand image that is meaningful and relevant to a wide demographic of customers. I will miss him being at the helm, but I am very confident in Vince’s leadership capabilities.”

Assetta has been with Straub since 2010. As vice president and brewmaster his primary responsibilities focused on finance and operations, taking a lead role in modernizing the brewing process, developing a quality assurance program and expanding the breweries’ packaging capabilities. During his tenure as brewmaster, Assetta expanded the number of beers Straub offered, from three to more than 50, including Straub’s Tight Lines Kölsch, which won a bronze in the 2017 World Beer Cup.

Brock and Assetta first met at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, almost 40 years ago and their friendship has endured via a mutual passion for fly-fishing. “I can’t think of a better person than Vince to move the brewery forward, he has a keen understanding of the brewing process, and he knows the beer business with all of its opportunities and challenges” stated Brock.

Prior to his tenure at Straub, Assetta was a CPA and audit manager with Price Waterhouse and served in various steel industry financial positions including vice president, controller for Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Company and its successors.

Following a brief sabbatical, Brock will continue with the brewery part-time as a strategic advisor to support the transition while also pursuing other personal and professional endeavors, including fly-fishing. His final message as president and CEO is to thank everyone for supporting Straub Brewery.