Education
He attended Bryan College prior to joining the United States. Army in 1999.
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Joseph Ledbetter
Edit Profilefounder of Chattanooga Whiskey Company
Career
Joe Ledbetter was raised in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Following five years in the service, Joe was an insurance broker in Washington District of Columbia when he decided to pursue the Distilled Spirits industry. With one Facebook posting: “Would you drink Chattanooga Whiskey?", Ledbetter and his partner got thousands of supporters to petition a change in the law in Hamilton County.
Joe Ledbetter addressed the Hamilton County Commission in November 2012, citing the economic boost the distillery could bring to the Scenic City.
While the commissioners couldn"t change the law on their own, a majority had to send it to the state legislature, which eventually happened. In 2009, the legislature approved a bill to repeal the prohibition laws in the state, but Hamilton County was not included in that referendum.
In May 2013, Governor Bill Haslam signed the bill into law, allowing Chattanooga Whiskey to be made in the city for which it"s named. In mid 2014, Joe Ledbetter resigned from day-to-day operations at the Tennessee Stillhouse to form Ledbetter Holdings and The Barrelhouse Laboratory to pursue other projects and ideas as well as consult with other distilleries and spirits brands.
