Member Spotlight- Grain Craft & Three Rings Brewery
Grain Craft recently welcomed members of the community to the More @ 4 Chamber Connections event, where attendees had the opportunity to learn more about one of the nation’s leading flour milling companies. Representatives Caleb Ahlquist, Clint Church, and Rich Smith answered questions throughout the afternoon, helping guests prepare for a company trivia game that wrapped up the event. As participants discovered, Grain Craft operates flour milling plants across the country.
McPherson Plant Manager Clint Church explained, “We have wheat milling plants in LA, Utah, Idaho, Alabama, Georgia, and three here in Kansas. Then we have corn mills that are down in Texas, Iowa and Illinois.” The company’s McPherson location is situated at 416 N. Main and plays an important role in Grain Craft’s nationwide operations.
With wheat harvest season just around the corner, local agriculture was also a major topic of discussion during the event. Clint Church noted that harvest in the area is expected to begin within about a week and emphasized the company’s strong ties to regional farmers. “99% of our wheat is all within 200 miles of us,” Church said. South Dakota is the furthest state from which Grain Craft sources wheat. He also highlighted the McPherson facility’s packaging operations, saying, “Our big thing here in McPherson is packaging. So, when you go to the grocery store – a lot of the flour you see comes from us.” Grain Craft McPherson packages the store brands you see in Walmart, Dillons (Kroger), and Aldi, among other brands. Guests also learned several fun facts during the trivia game, including that it takes only six minutes to unload a semi of wheat at Grain Craft’s high-speed receiving pit and that Alaska is currently the furthest state the company ships to.
Grain Craft’s commitment to education and innovation was another focus of the evening. Church spoke about the company’s close partnership with Kansas State University and its investment in future milling professionals. “We do a lot of work with K-State and we bring in a lot of Kansas State interns every summer, so we have a great internship program,” he said. “We hire a lot of graduates out of the Kansas State Milling Program.” He encouraged young people interested in the field to explore the opportunities available through the program. Grain Craft produces a wide range of products including bread flours, high-gluten flours, all-purpose flours, specialty noodle flours, and tortilla flours, with tortillas becoming the company’s fastest-growing flour market in the United States in 2026. With more than 100 years of history and a reputation as the nation’s third-largest wheat flour miller, Grain Craft continues to build on its tradition of partnering with American farmers while providing flour products used in everything from breads and pastries to pizza, pasta, cereals, and tortillas. You can learn more about their milling business by visiting their website at graincraft.com.
The More @ 4 Chamber Connections event was held at Three Rings Brewery at its Party Patio located at 534 U.S. Highway 81 Bypass. The outdoor venue showcased the brewery’s growing role as a community gathering spot, hosting events such as a weekly cornhole league every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. over the next six weeks, as well as the upcoming McPherson Public Library Silent Disco Pop-Up Series on June 5th. With its spacious patio atmosphere and local partnerships, the brewery continues to create opportunities for people to connect and enjoy local entertainment.
Head brewer and co-owner Ian Smith shared the story behind the brewery’s growth and success. “We started in 2016, so in a few weeks we will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary.” Smith said. Three Rings Brewery now distributes its beer across much of Kansas, reaching as far west as the Colorado border and east to Kansas City. In the past year, the company has also expanded into direct sales in McPherson, Little River, Hutchinson, Newton, and Marion areas, further strengthening its local presence.
Brewing has deep roots in the Smith family, with a tradition that stretches back more than 500 years. Seasonal offerings continue to highlight that heritage and local connections. This spring’s featured beer was Grand Illusion, while the summer seasonal, Fields of Gold, is a 100 percent wheat beer featuring artwork of Smith’s father-in-law’s combine and farm on the can label. All of the artwork for their colorful cans comes from Atelier Design & Print in McPherson. The brewery’s taproom, which opened in January 2020, adds another layer to the Three Rings experience, where every beer name is inspired by song titles. Customers can learn more through the brewery’s website at threeringsbrewery.com or download their mobile app, which offers rewards, specials, and loyalty club benefits.
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