WASHINGTON, D.C.– In an effort to stay connected with constituents while in Washington, U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) skyped yesterday from the U.S. Capitol building with employees of the Shipyard Brewery Company in Portland as they gathered for their annual employee meeting.  It was the first time Senator King utilized the video-chat program to engage with Mainers at home and he looks forward to using the service more throughout his time in the Senate.

During the Skype session, Senator King spoke with Fred Forsley, President of Shipyard Brewing Company, and Bruce Forsley, the Director of Sales and Marketing, and congratulated them on the company’s continued growth.  The Senator and the Foresleys also spoke to the vast popularity of Maine-based beers, the deserved sense of pride that brewers across the state take in crafting an exceptional product, and the importance of supporting the state’s local breweries at the federal level.

Following the discussion, Senator King said:

“It was fantastic to Skype with the men and women of the Shipyard Brewing Company. As Fred, Bruce, and I discussed, Maine breweries are some of the best in the nation and they’ve earned that distinction through their hard-work in creating an exceptional product.  I will do all I can to support them at the federal level and look forward to working closely with breweries across the state in that pursuit.”

Fred Forsley added:

“We at the Shipyard Brewing Company were thankful that Senator King took a few minutes out of his day to chat with us.  We were excited to see his commitment to Maine small businesses and our employees particularly appreciated his interest in the brewing industry.  We look forward to working closely with him in the future on issues important to us.”

A clip of the Skype session can be found here.