Oskar Blues and MicroStar Logistics Extend Partnership

Oskar-Blues-Brewing-Logo2GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Today, Oskar Blues and MicroStar Logistics are pleased to announce a multi-year extension of their on-going partnership. MicroStar’s industry-leading keg management program delivers the efficiency and flexibility a leading brewer like Oskar Blues needs in today’s dynamic marketplace.

“We first signed on with MicroStar over a decade ago and they’ve always delivered the kegs we need, when we need them,” says Oskar Blues Owner/Founder, Dale Katechis. “We’re now a much bigger brewer and our needs have changed. We elected to extend our strategic relationship because it’s clear MicroStar is investing in the areas that are most important to our future growth: customer service, quality and technology.”

“Dale and the team at Oskar Blues are true pioneers and an inspiration to work with,” says MicroStar’s President and CEO, Michael Hranicka. “They are committed to innovation, quality, community service, and to having fun! We also believe this is how business should be done and we’re proud to have them as part of our customer community.”

Since joining the MicroStar program in 2003, Oskar Blues has grown by leaps and bounds.  This trend continues as they expand capacity in both their Brevard, NC, and Longmont, CO, facilities. MicroStar’s ability to deliver the kegs needed without the worries that come with keg ownership will be a valuable asset as Oskar Blues manages their growth in the coming years.  By choosing MicroStar instead of owning their own kegs, Oskar Blues also has reduced their carbon footprint by approximately 45,000 kg of CO2e in the past 12 months alone, based on an analysis by Dr. John Heckman of PE International.  That is equivalent to saving the amount of CO2e emitted by burning over 50,000 pounds of coal.

About Oskar Blues Brewery

Founded as a brewpub by Dale Katechis in 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-can apocalypse in 2002 using a tabletop machine that sealed one can at a time. In 2008, the makers of the top-selling pale ale in ColoRADo, Dale’s Pale Ale, moved into a 35,000-square-foot facility in Longmont, ColoRADo. The brewery has since experienced explosive growth-packaging 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011 and 86,750 barrels in 2012. In December of 2012, Oskar Blues opened the doors to an additional brewery in Brevard, North Carolina. Together, the breweries packaged 120,000 barrels of beer in 2013, distributing its trailblazing craft brews to 36 U.S. states. 

About MicroStar

Founded in 1996, MicroStar Logistics, based in Greenwood Village, Colo., is the market-leading provider of keg management and logistics services to the U.S. craft beer industry. The company manages the largest independent network of kegs, approaching 2 million nationwide, and the corresponding logistical needs for approximately 200 craft brewery customers. The company provides a cost-effective outsourced solution that enables craft brewers to grow while reducing their carbon footprints. For additional information, visit www.microstarlogistics.com.