LEBRON HAGGARD’S dream formed within the confines of his Manchester garage. Inside, he and his friends milled malt, combined the grain with hot water, boiled its contents, initiated fermentation, and then conditioned the liquid. In the end, they possessed beer ready for drinking. Very soon, a business was formed, providing Haggard an avenue to help thousands and forever leave a mark on the Manchester community.
The name of that business? Common John Brewing Company (CJBC).
“I was brewing beer in my garage with buddies, and we were kicking around the idea of opening a brewery since there wasn’t one in the area,” the Manchester native recalled. “We were all home brewing together, and we’d visit breweries and really liked the atmosphere that it had — just really felt that our community needed a local brewery.”
During that time, Haggard worked at Bridgestone Corporation, a global tire and rubber manufacturing company. He graduated from college with a mechanical engineering degree and transitioned into the tire manufacturing field for decades.
Until his own tires in life became worn.
“I got to the point in my corporate life where there was only a few more levels I could go, and it was like my soul was leaving me and not fun anymore,” Haggard laughingly shared. “I wanted to do something else.”
So he shifted into a new gear, making the leap into the brewery business. Planning for the brewery began in 2016, with the business opening in 2020, becoming a place for beer, food, music, and community embrace. Haggard owns CJBC with his aunt, Renee Haggard. His friends — Jeff Baldwin, Larry Briggman, Derrick Gallagher, and David Mitchell — helped start CJBC and continue to be involved as either full-time or part-time employees. His wife, Angela; daughter, Shelby Haggard Gallagher; father, Ray; and many more assisted with the brewery’s upstart, making the business ordeal a family affair.
“From the beginning, it was our goal to provide a place to work for people that was above standards,” LeBron said. “We strive to provide a good living wage and give back to the community all that we can. That was always a big thing for us, just doing different things, and we partner a lot with different charitable organizations, just trying to give back to the town and elevate our community as much as we can.”
CJBC has partnered with over 15 nonprofits, including the Coffee County Humane Society, Unstoppable Women, Down Syndrome Awareness, Dusty Elam Foundation, Sportsmen & Businessmen’s Charitable Organization, school organizations, and more.
At the very least, the brewery participates with five to six organizations a year to make a difference.
A 2024 “Blues, Brews and BBQs” fundraiser blew Manchester’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) non-profit group away with the amount of support shown by CJBC employees and customers, raising over $10,000 for the nonprofit and first responder groups — especially since the VFW members were not even aware of the brewery’s existence.
LeBron’s commitment to servitude stemmed from a family raised to love, spanning generations in the community. Even his sister dedicates herself to the community as the clinic manager at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic, looking into the care of animals. LeBron also boasts a daughter who previously served in the U.S. Marines and a son-in-law who continues to offer his services to the country.
LeBron hopes the two will join the CJBC upon finishing their time with the military, helping to carry on a different kind of service in Manchester.
“It’s nice being able to show people that they can do this kind of stuff,” he said. “Whenever we can, we’re always open to helping other people within the community.”
His work shines as an inspiration for anyone wishing to do good, one beer at a time. GN
