USA, MI: Pigeon Hill Brewing Co. purchasing new facility for distribution

Muskegon-based Pigeon Hill Brewing Co. opened less than a year ago and has agreed to purchase a 9,270-square-foot-facility in Muskegon, at 441 W. Western Ave., which is across the street from its taproom, Grand Rapids Business Journal posted on March 3.

The project will end up costing Pigeon Hill about $1 million, with financing help from a bank.

Pigeon Hill Brewing co-founder and CEO Joel Kamp said the brewery wasn’t actively seeking a production facility, but was contacted by the owner of the building, represented by Signature Associates.

The facility will house a 20-barrel brewhouse with two fermenters to start — either 60- or 90-barrels each — and a brite tank. A barrel is 31 gallons.

Brewing will stagger between several of the brewery’s mainstay beers, such as Shifting Sands IPA, Walter Blonde Ale and Renegade White Double IPA.

The brewery will also purchase a canning line to help extend the brewery’s reach.

The brewery in the company’s taproom can sufficiently meet guest demand there.

“This expansion is mostly for distribution,” Kamp said. “This will also us to get into canning and further into the market at tap and off-premise retail accounts.”

Prior to being approached about the new location, Kamp said Pigeon Hill Brewing did expect to expand production in another year or two.

Now, the company expects to have the brewery site operating by the end of the year.

Kamp said the brewery's initial opening was delayed by a variety of approvals and build-out issues, but many of the issues at the new building have are already been completed.

Pigeon Hill’s goal is to brew 5,000 barrels annually within the next four years.

04 March, 2015