E-Malt.com News article: USA, WI: Point Brewery embarks on $1.5 mln expansion project

The craft beer trend is growing and with this growth comes expansion, which is the case at Point Brewery in Stevens Point, which announced a $1.5 million expansion on January 7, Wsaw.com reported.

Production volume increased 10 percent in 2014 and this gave them all the more reason and opportunity to decide to expand for the sixth year in a row in 2015. It is an expansion into the business that keeps on giving and growing.

For a brewery that started in 1857 and is one of the top three oldest breweries in the country, an expansion is nothing new for Point Brewery. This time around, major upgrades focus on packaging.

"This year's expansion includes a new can filler. It will help us grow from 180 cans a minute to 380 cans a minute on our filler speed. It will also give us the ability to do both 12 and 16 ounce can production," Director of Operations and Brew Master Gabe Hopkins said.

Hopkins also said the can filler will allow consumers to drink their craft beers in a single serve setting, which means more people will have access to Point brews.

The brewery will also offer better quality and longer shelf-life with new quality control equipment.

For the first time in more than 20 years, their gift shop will also get a major renovation. Director of Marketing Julie Birrenkott said that, that is a big deal because beer tourism and beercations are increasingly becoming a trend in Central Wisconsin.

"We have over 12,000 people that visit us every year and come on tours so this is a great opportunity to show what we can do," Birrenkott said.

The expansion also includes an additional 300-barrel tank to their courtyard cellar, and the creation of three jobs - two salespeople and a quality control technician. It is the second consecutive year the brewery has created jobs. In 2014, the brewery added 10 new positions.

However, overall, Birrenkott just said with craft beer sales on the rise, this growth gives them more opportunity as a brewery to expand.

"The beer drinkers are looking for something different, looking for a little bit more um in their beers that they're drinking. It's just the overall trend and it's a growth of craft beer. It's just a great time to be a beer drinker in Wisconsin," Birrenkott said.

Gift shop renovation and other upgrades start in mid-January. The store is expected to be completed by the beginning of February and the rest of the upgrades, including the installation of the new can filler will end in May, just in time for summer.


09 January, 2015