Entrepreneur: Fritz Maytag
Company: Anchor Brewing

He invented what later became known as microbrewing. Without Fritz Maytag's Anchor Steam Beer and its brother brews, we beer lovers might have been consigned to choosing between Budweiser, Miller, and Coors. Instead we have a cornucopia of some of the finest brews available. By the early 1990s, Maytag was facing the real possibility of a capacity shortage. He considered going public to raise capital, but didn't want to grow that big. In the end, oddly enough, Maytag was saved by his competitors. Microbrewing was gaining popularity, and hundreds of small breweries were springing up around the country. Rather than resist them, Maytag helped fledgling rivals develop their brewing skills. "It was a great relief," says Maytag, now 67. "It's not any fun when you can't produce enough to satisfy people.

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