USA, MI: Short’s Brewing Co. is set for $5 million expansion

Short’s Brewing Co. announced on February 19 a $5 million brewery expansion that, when completed, will double production capacity to 60,000 barrels, according to Brewbound.

Construction on the expansion, which is being financed by a combination of bank loans and roughly $500,000 in available cash from Short’s, is expected to begin this summer.

“This expansion is the ideal situation for the production side of Short’s in the upcoming years,” Tyler Glaze, the brewery’s operations manager said in a statement. “It’ll open up so many more options for what we’re able to do to keep up with Michigan-driven demand. At the same time, it will allow us to get even more creative in our brewing, enhance the quality of the product we’re distributing, and stay in the Elk Rapids community that many Short’s employees call home.”

As part of the expansion, Short’s will spend $3 million to upgrade some of its brewing and packaging equipment, including a new wastewater pre-treatment system and bottling line.

Short’s has grown its production more than 30 percent in each of the last five years, and the brewery has even bigger goals in mind for 2014.

“We’ll probably see a 70 percent increase,” said Scott Newman-Bale, a brewery partner.

Short’s produced 23,600 barrels last year and is targeting 38,000 this year, Newman-Bale said.

The acquisition of an adjacent property means the company will eventually be able to grow into a 200,000 barrel footprint.

21 February, 2014