USA, NC: Foothills Brewing expands distribution across North Carolina

Winston-Salem based Foothills Brewing has expanded and signed wholesale distributor agreements that will dramatically increase the availability of its beer brands and make them available at major grocery store chains and shops across North Carolina, bizjournals.com reported on January, 11.

The company’s new distribution partners include Mims Distributing in Raleigh, Caffey Distributing Co. in Greensboro, Coastal Beverage in Wilmington and Healy Wholesale Co. in Fayetteville. Foothills has also expanded existing relationships with United Beverages of North Carolina and Carolina Premium Beverage in Concord.

The growth by Foothills comes after the Triad-based brewery launched a new production facility and acquired the beer division of Carolina Beer & Beverage — maker of Carolina Blonde, Cottonwood Endo IPA and other brands.

“We’re fortunate that, thanks to the dedicated following we’ve built over the years, our beer is in high demand,” said Jamie Bartholomaus, president and brewmaster at Foothills. “Our goals for brand consolidation and increased sales efforts meant finding more partners. This is a big step for Foothills, so we spent a great deal of time selecting those distribution partners. We’re confident our brands will prosper under their guidance and direction.”

The deals mean that many Foothills beers will be available in six-pack and 22-ounce bottles at grocery stores and bottle shops.

Scott Mizerak, sales manager at Foothills, said that people have been asking the company when its beer would be available in six-packs. "We're happy, after years of having such a loyal following, to finally see Foothills brands on grocery shelves," he said.

16 January, 2013