 | E-Malt.com News article: Canada, AB: Wild Rose Brewery to expand facility
On September, 19, the same day Bill McKenzie’s appointment as CEO of Wild Rose Brewery was announced, the brewery also announced plans for a significant facility expansion.
The company will be leasing a southeast industrial park property with the intention of turning it into a second brewery location, one that will supplement Wild Rose’s existing Currie Barracks facility.
The new facility is expected to quadruple the company’s square footage, and — within a couple of years — more than double its production capacity.
“We’ve stretched all the capacity we can out of this place (the Currie Barracks location),” McKenzie said. “In the last year or so, we’ve been very challenged to take on new business, and this will enable us to do that.”
McKenzie said a second location will also raise Wild Rose’s profile in the community, and enable the company to add significantly to its current roster of 40 or so employees.
While Wild Rose has full intentions to continue operating out of its Currie Barracks location, McKenzie said there are concerns the company may not always have that space. The neighbourhood is undergoing extensive redevelopment, and McKenzie said there is a chance the brewery may be deemed an inappropriate fit for the area or lose its lease. Starting a second location will ensure no interruption in operations, should that day come.
Whether the new southeast facility will include a restaurant and retail store is yet to be determined, as is the final budget for the expansion. However, McKenzie said he is committed to retaining the small-company culture at Wild Rose, as well as the brewery’s commitment to small-batch, specialty brews.
“We want to be known as the most trusted craft brewer in Alberta,” McKenzie said. “We’re not looking to be a national, major company — we just want to be a great Alberta craft brewer.”
Wild Rose Brewery Ltd. plans to start producing beer from its new location as early as next spring.
21 September, 2012
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