Rumors of a large layoff at Massachusetts’ Lord Hobo Brewing Company began circulating Thursday evening on social media. Reality was much different. Lord Hobo founder Daniel Lanigan told Brewbound that the company cut eight jobs across sales, marketing, production and taproom staff this week, which he classified as part of the “normal course of business.”

Lord Hobo Brewing Company is hoping the release of its first 18-pack and a vintage muscle car giveaway will help it accelerate beyond the 50,000-barrel threshold in 2019. The Massachusetts craft brewery launched 18-packs of Freebird, a new year-round golden ale that clocks in at 5.5 percent ABV, last Friday at its brewery and taproom in Woburn. Speaking to Brewbound, Lord Hobo director of new markets Rob Day said Freebird 18-packs — at a suggested retail price of $20 — are the company’s first foray into the “affordable, larger-package format.”

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Brewers Association CEO Bob Pease weighs in on the Boston Beer-Dogfish Head deal; Rob Tod wins a James Beard award; Bell’s and Loveland head to arbitration; the Texas Senate strips to-go-sales amendment from a bill; and more industry news.

Nearly 26 months after the merger of Canadian brewing equipment manufacturers Diversified Metal Engineering (DME) and Newlands Systems, the combined company has fallen into receivership after defaulting on loan payments to the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). DME Group’s financial troubles have left hundreds of of North American craft brewery owners who had already shelled out millions of dollars in equipment deposits in limbo.

Lord Hobo Brewing Company(LHBCo) has officially opened the doors to their highly-anticipated renovated on-site brewery taproom in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Lord Hobo will release Angelica New England Wheat Beer.

You’ve probably never heard of Craftroots Brewing in Milford, Massachusetts, but it was just named the fastest growing craft brewery in America by industry trade group the Brewers Association (BA). According to Craftroots co-founder Maureen Fabry, production at the small brewery grew 1,440 percent last year, from 20 barrels in 2016 to 308 barrels in 2017.

In this week’s distribution roundup: Lord Hobo adds New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Two Brothers expands to Tennessee; Ska Brewing hits Iowa and Surly launches in Colorado. Additionally, Moody Tongue expands to Wisconsin and Alesmith Brewing lands in Georgia.

A nearly decade-long debate over how to reform Massachusetts’ controversial beer franchise laws continued Tuesday afternoon, as craft brewers and beer wholesalers packed a basement meeting room of the statehouse to testify before the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

Fast-growing Lord Hobo Brewing – which launched in 2015 and grew more than 400 percent last year — today announced that it has sold a minority stake to Valterra Partners, a boutique private investment firm with offices in New York and Massachusetts. Specific financial terms were not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close this month.

Lord Hobo Brewing Company (LHBCo) has announced plans to increase their distribution footprint with expansion into Florida. LHBCo, who recently celebrated their 2nd Anniversary, grew nearly 415% in 2016 and the company is on track to produce 30,000 bbls in 2017; Florida will play a large role in that growth. LHBCo has partnered with Cavalier Distributing for state-wide distribution in the Sunshine State.

A Massachusetts state task force dealing with examining the state’s decades-old liquor laws met on Thursday — and beer distribution was on the agenda.

When Lord Hobo Brewing opened a 47,000 sq. ft. facility with initial capacity to produce 20,000 barrels annually, The Boston Herald called the launch “likely the largest craft brewery opening in New England history.” The company, which opened last month, has the production goals to match. Located in Woburn, Mass., Lord Hobo is hoping to introduce 10,000 barrels of beer to drinkers in the Bay State and beyond by the end of its first year in business.