Jon O'Connor
Jon O’Connor’s professional arc runs straight through three overlapping worlds—real estate, neighborhood-scale civic work, and spirits manufacturing—and it makes sense that the company he co-founded chose “Long Road” as both name and thesis. His story is grounded in method: do the hard work in public, build trust by being transparent about process, and refuse shortcuts even when a faster route is available.
O’Connor was born and raised in West Branch, Michigan, a small rural town in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. From there he moved to Grand Rapids and earned an undergraduate degree in Public Administration from Grand Valley State University. He owned and operated West Michigan Real Estate Advisors, a residential real estate appraisal and brokerage firm. That work involving numbers, regulation, documentation, deadlines, and risk maps cleanly onto what it takes to open a distillery that intends to make spirits “grain-to-glass” inside city limits.
At the same time, he built a public-service résumé that was not a side note but a parallel track. O’Connor served a term on the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education and later became First Ward Commissioner in the City of Grand Rapids. Long Road’s founding story, then, is inseparable from place. In fact, Long Road Distillers ultimately became Grand Rapids’ first distillery, but the idea was born as something smaller and more personal: two neighbors, a shared commitment to their corner of the city, and an enthusiasm for fine spirits. O’Connor and co-founder Kyle Van Strien indicated the concept took shape over a bottle of Irish whisky, and from that night, they moved quickly, though not carelessly. Their timeline was about 18 months from concept to opening.
That “long road” between idea and opening was filled with friction that most patrons never see. The early push was turbulent, and involved explaining to the city what a distillery is and is not, navigating regulatory concerns, and securing federal and state approvals. The build-out itself required taking an older building and turning it into a safe, code-compliant facility that could handle milling, fermentation, distillation, and public hospitality in one address.
Finally, Long Road Distillers opened in 2015, and from the start the mission was explicit: create world-class spirits from Michigan-grown ingredients without cutting corners. The company adopted “No Shortcuts” as a guiding line, and it kept that promise in the unflashy ways that matter: ingredient sourcing, equipment choices, and process transparency.
Within a year, recognition followed. In 2016, Long Road publicized major competition results. The early awards were not treated as a victory lap. They were used as reinforcement for the operating philosophy: process discipline, ingredient integrity, and patience. As the company matured, O’Connor’s public voice increasingly emphasized that craft distilling was not only about bottles, it was about building neighborhoods and community. That outlook matched the company’s physical footprint and how it positioned itself inside a “Beer City” economy: spirits as a complementary craft, not a novelty.
And O’Connor also expanded his leadership beyond his own company. He has served as President of the Michigan Craft Distillers Association, representing dozens of small distillers statewide and engaging in industry advocacy tied to Michigan’s regulatory environment. That role is consistent with how he presents Long Road’s identity as a creator of distilled spirits: quality, compliance, and credibility.
Through the buildout and the accolades that followed, OConnor stayed grounded to home and kept family as a priority. He is married to his wife Monica, and together they have a daughter, Eleanor, and a rescue dog named Rosie.
Nowadays, Long Road Distillers has steadily expanded its reputation beyond its early gin and vodka successes by developing a thoughtful and distinctly Michigan-focused whiskey program. The distillery produces a range of American-style whiskeys built around regional grain and careful maturation. Among the best known is Straight Bourbon Whiskey, distilled from a traditional mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley and aged in new charred American oak barrels. Long Road also produces Straight Rye Whiskey, emphasizing a spicier grain profile that balances peppery rye character with vanilla and caramel notes drawn from barrel aging. Both expressions reflect the distillery’s commitment to grain-to-glass production and careful small-batch blending.
The distillery has also explored variations within its whiskey line through limited releases and finishing techniques. One notable example is Single Barrel Bourbon, where individual barrels are bottled separately to highlight the subtle differences created by maturation. Long Road has additionally produced specialty expressions such as Maple-Finished Bourbon, aged with Michigan maple syrup barrels that contribute a gentle sweetness without overwhelming the underlying whiskey. Together, these offerings illustrate how the distillery has built a whiskey portfolio that complements its broader spirits lineup while showcasing Michigan ingredients, careful distillation, and deliberate aging practices.
Taken as a whole, O’Connor’s story is parallel to Long Road Distillery as it became a visible brand in Grand Rapids. He treated transparency and local sourcing as core operations, not an afterthought—because its founders were willing to take the long route—the one that lasts.
Sources:
Mlive Events, “Speaker Details: Jon O’Connor…”, Events.Mlive.com, events.mlive.com/ItTakesAPlanner/speaker/1267474/jon-o%27connor
Long Road Distillers official website, “About”, longroaddistillers.com
Grand Valley State University Alumni, “Long Road Distillers - Jon O’Connor ’04”, GVSU.edu
WGVU-PBS News 95.3 FM, “Meet the candidate: Jon O’Connor”, Daniel Boothe, August 2, 2019, WGVUNews.org
Michigan Economic Development Corporation, “Success Story: Long Road Distillers”, MichiganBusiness.org
Craft Spirits Magazine, “Long Road Distillers Enters New Territory with Uncharted Zero-Proof Cocktails,” December 3, 2024, craftspiritsmag.com
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
