USA, OH: Elevator Brewing Co. for sale

Elevator Brewing Co. — one of the oldest craft breweries in Ohio — is for sale, the Akron Beacon Journal reported on June 23.

“It’s sad,” co-founder Dick Stevens said. “I never envisioned that this is how this thing would end, having to put it up for sale. I always thought I could find the right people and sell it to the employees but that just didn’t happen.”

He blamed the Columbus production brewery’s demise mainly on the coronavirus and how it’s impacted his ability to sell beer. Breweries were hard hit by the closure of bars and restaurants because of the pandemic.

Stevens also cited poor taproom sales since being allowed to reopen and his age as factors. He’s 81.

He put an ad on ProBrewer.com late last week offering to sell the production equipment, Elevator brand and downtown Columbus building for $750,000. He said he would prefer not to sell off the brewery in pieces.

Stevens and his son Ryan — who were just beer drinkers and not brewers or restauranteurs — launched the production brewery in Marysville in 1999 when the craft brewing industry was still in its infancy. Back then, there were only about 45 breweries scattered throughout Ohio — many of those no longer exist — compared to more than 300 today.

They called it Elevator Brewing because it was located inside a former grain elevator. They later opened the Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus in downtown Columbus. The restaurant is now owned and operated separately and not part of the sale.

Ryan died suddenly in 2003 but Stevens kept the brewery going as a tribute to him. In 2009, he relocated the production brewery to 165 N. Fourth St. in downtown Columbus — just a few blocks from the restaurant.

“I never took a salary out,” Stevens said. “Never took any money out. I put it back in. It wasn’t about the money. It was about keeping it for Ryan, my son. I don’t know if anybody wants to buy the brand and keep it going. I would be more than happy if that happened.”

Stevens is one of the original members of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association and served as membership committee chair for a few years. The production brewery served as the site of the association’s first legislative reception.

“Dick Stevens and Elevator Brewing are entwined in the history of the OCBA and craft brewing in Ohio,” association Executive Director Mary MacDonald said. “We are hopeful that the right match will be found to carry on the Elevator Brewing brand and occupy the awesome downtown Columbus brewery location. We wish Stevens the very best in his future endeavors.”

Stevens said there are a couple of interested parties. He declined to name them.

Elevator won two bronze medals at the Great American Beer Festival over the years. Dark Horse, a dark lager that later was renamed Dark Force, won in 2007 and Mogabi, a hoppy wheat, in 2015.

But the brewery also struggled occasionally with quality control and finding its identity in the fast-growing craft beer marketplace. It went through a couple of rebrandings of its labels in recent years in an effort to revitalize itself.

In addition to its award-winning beers, the brewery was known for brands such as Bleeding Buckeye Red Ale, Horny Goat, Three Frogs IPA and Heiferweizen.

For now, the taproom will remain open Thursday, Friday and Saturday as Stevens seeks a buyer. He wants to keep selling beer until the brewery is sold.

Stevens has at least one regret from his time running a brewery. He never learned how to brew. He also advised anyone launching a brewery today to self-distribute and not rely on distributors to care for their brand in a competitive market.

Stevens’ plan is to retire. He enjoys painting in his art studio and will continue doing that.

“I will miss coming to the brewery, drinking beer and hanging out, but life goes on,” he said.

24 June, 2020