Detroit’s Atwater Brewing has revealed a bold expansion plan that includes building two large brewing facilities far from its Michigan base.
Crain’s Business Detroit reports the Detroit company plans to open breweries in both Austin, Texas, and North Carolina in 2015. The Austin brewery, which will cost $15 million and have a capacity to produce 100,000 barrels, is in the final planning stages for construction. Mark Rieth, president and CEO of Atwater Brewing, told Crain’s the motto for the satellite facility will be: “Brewed in Austin. Born in Detroit.”
Rieth said he wants the brewer to grow in scale enough to become a mega-regional player.
“We have eight new markets ready to go as soon as product is available, with another five planned for 2016 and beyond,” Rieth said. “The additional operations out of state will allow the Detroit facilities to handle the local markets, which are, and always will be, our main priority.”
When Rieth took over Atwater in 2005, it brewed 800 barrels of beer a year. He predicts sales of 70,000 this year and 100,000 in 2015.