The calendar hasn’t quite flipped to February, and already there have been a number of key transitions at some of the industry’s top beer companies. Longtime New Belgium sales director Joe Menetre is departing the Colorado-headquartered craft brewery after about 18 years, Brewbound has learned. Meanwhile, Adam Lambert, another longtime beer industry sales executive who left Dogfish Head for a position at the smaller New Holland Brewing in December 2014, will depart for Anheuser-Busch InBev this month
Six months after promoting then-CFO Kim Jones to CEO, Sweetwater Brewing and the former executive have parted ways, Brewbound has learned. Tucker Berta Sarkisian, a spokeswoman with Sweetwater, confirmed Jones’ departure, saying only that she had moved on. In a separate but related move, Sweetwater has also hired Paul “PK” Kirbabas, the current director of sales administration for Georgia’s United Distributors
Congressional leaders in Alabama have nearly finished writing a bill that will change many of the state’s Prohibition-era laws, advancing the cause of craft brewers in the state. Particularly notable, leaders say, is that Alabama lawmakers managed to bring together representatives from all three tiers to propose the changes. While craft brewers in Georgia and Mississippi appeal to local officials for updated industry regulations, the state’s example is one that some hope will serve the rest of the South.
Hoping to update state laws governing the sale of alcohol, the Mississippi Brewers Guild is in the final stages of drafting a retail sales bill that, if passed, would greenlight direct-to-consumer sales for small brewers. Though unfinished, the proposed piece of legislation, which doesn’t yet have a sponsor, seeks to “create awareness and provide opportunities” for the small set of Mississippi craft brewers who produce less than one percent of all the beer sold in-state.
Founders Expands Warehouse Operations, Adds Second Brewery; Schlafly Bottleworks Plans to Double Capacity at Maplewood Facility; New Delivery Service Aims to Become “Pandora” for Craft Beer Enthusiasts; India’s Bira 91 Gets Venture Backing from Sequoia Capital; ABI Pares Down Bidder List for Peroni and Grolsch
Former Kona Brewing President Mattson Davis has launched his own consulting firm, Ulu Development, a name that pays homage to the breadfruit plant that grows abundantly on the Hawaiian Islands. With a focus on assisting startup food and beverage companies, the firm’s goal is to coach business owners in the areas of entrepreneurship, brand development, go-to-market strategies, creative partnerships and even long-term succession planning, Davis said.
Brewbound is pleased to unveil its entire 2016 events schedule, one that will include six Brew Talks meetups and two full-day Brewbound Session business conferences.
Seven months after separating from the brewery he helped to start, former Knee Deep Brewing co-owner Jeremy Warren is getting back in the game with Revision Brewing, a brewery founded on creative versatility and a name fraught with meaning. In an interview with Brewbound, Warren described the new venture as his second attempt to build a company where he can experiment with the unique styles and production methods that excite him.
After nine months of searching, Craft Brew Alliance has finally selected the site for its new 30,000 sq. ft. Kona Brewing facility in Hawaii. Located near its original brewpub, the 2.6 acre site in Kailua-Kona will be capable of producing 100,000 barrels and serve as a potential gateway to Far East export markets.
Oskar Blues Brewery released a year-end review of its growth in 2015 this week, one that boasted of double-digit increases in sales and production for the company. Oskar Blues, the nation’s 24th largest beer maker, saw a 30 percent increase in sales last year, producing some 192,000 barrels of beer by the end of 2015.
Alabama Moves to Let Brewers Sell Direct to Consumers; Pyramid Shutters Walnut Creek Outpost; What 2016 Looks Like for Green Flash’s New Brewmaster; Asahi, S.A. Damm Among Final Bidders for Peroni and Grolsch; Yuengling Begins Distributing in Mississippi
Malteurop, a global provider of malt to brewers and distillers, has filed a lawsuit against three former employees and their company, Proximity Malt, a craft beer industry-focused startup that was founded in February 2015. In the suit, filed Dec. 17, 2015 in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Malteurop North America claimed that Proximity Malt and a member of its team stole confidential information that was used to help launch the new company.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken a step to clear the way for the $6.7 billion tie-up of Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC, according to a report prepared by The Capitol Forum, a subscription-based regulatory analysis service covering antitrust and global mergers and acquisitions.
After changing wholesalers in Wisconsin and Maryland late last year, San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing has moved the brand in at least one other key market: New York City. The company is also considering moves throughout the rest of the state, a source familiar with transaction told Brewbound. The company — which was recently purchased by Corona-maker Constellation Brands for $1 billion — is in the process of terminating its contract with Sheehan Family Companies, a beer distributor that operates four wholesale outfits throughout the state, the source said.
