#1 Selling a record 114,000 barrels of beer in 1935, Fort Pitt soon put itself in a position to dominate the local beer market. However, Samuel Grenet, the company's president for nearly three decades died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 67. Without Grenet's vision as well as political and personal connections, led Fort Pitt sales to significantly decline to a record low of 86,000 barrels in 1937. Michael Berardino, with thirty years of experience in the brewing industry, was appointed as the new president. The new management began with an aggressive marketing program in Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, Western New York, Western Maryland and Northwest West Virginia. By 1940, as a result of additional upgrades and expansion of the plant located in Sharpsburg, the plant's annual capacity increased to 450,000 barrels. The company looked for another existing plant to acquire which it found in Jeannette, PA. Upon the outset of World War II, the company continued to grow and was estimated as the country's 23rd largest brewery. In 1949, despite competition from national beer brands, Fort Pitt was not only number one in Pittsburgh, but Pennsylvania in total beer sales. The company embarked on another expansion of the Sharpsburg plant costing $3 million. As quickly as the sales had risen, they suddenly dropped off in 1950 to just under 1 million barrels. The sudden decline was blamed on the overall drop in beer sales nationally, an unusually cool summer with less demand for beer, and a regional over supply of beer from the large national brewers. Fort Pitt remained optimistic that the sales would improve at the beginning of 1952 especially with the release of a new Fort Pitt Pilsener beer. Berardino stated that the beer was reformulated in response to a growing demand for beer with pale, dry and less filling characteristics. Berardino also pointed out that Fort Pitt Beer was one of the nation's largest user of imported hops. 1952 Strike - The Beginning of the End For the most part, Pittsburgh's three largest breweries, Fort Pitt, Duquesne and Iron City had not experienced major labor problems. In April 1952, all 2,100 of the Pittsburgh area brewery workers went on strike. Although all three of the city's major breweries were adversely affected, the most damaging effect was on Fort Pitt. As a result of this extended strike, national beers were once again introduced into