UPDATED Sierra Nevada: It’s Official
Sierra Nevada Press Release: Set To Build East Coast Facility in WNC
CHICO, Calif. — Jan. 25, 2012 —Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is pleased to announce that it has chosen a site in western North Carolina for the future home of an East Coast brewery. The site, approximately 90 acres in the Henderson County Town of Mills River— along the French Broad River, 12 miles south of Asheville — will be home to the new production facility, as well as a proposed restaurant and gift shop. “We are thrilled to have found an ideal location in western North Carolina for our second brewery,” says Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada. “The beer culture, water quality and quality of life are excellent. We feel lucky to be a part of this community.”
The new facility will add much needed capacity for Sierra Nevada, and will allow for the quick shipment of brewery-fresh beer to consumers in the east. The East Coast brewery will start with a capacity around 300,000 barrels, with room to grow. The added barrelage will accommodate wider production of the myriad of seasonal beers and bottled specialties Sierra Nevada has produced in recent years, as well as an expansion of the brewery’s well‐known flagship product: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Sierra Nevada began the search for a new location several years ago. The brewery looked at hundreds of potential sites, eventually narrowing the search down to a handful of locations. The list of criteria was long and included quantifiable factors such as ease of shipping and water quality, as well as quality of life issues for its employees. Sierra Nevada has a reputation for a laid-back brewery culture and a love of the outdoors, and the new facility will retain this same tone. The Asheville area offers Sierra Nevada Brewing the perfect confluence of community, recreation and craft beer culture.
Sierra Nevada’s eastern brewery site is expected to employ approximately 90 workers, with additional staff in the restaurant to follow. The brewery anticipates being operational by early 2014.
About Sierra Nevada Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America’s premier craft breweries, highly regarded for using only whole-cone hops and ingredients of the finest quality. Sierra Nevada has set the standard for artisan brewers worldwide as a winner of numerous awards for its extensive line of beers including the flagship Pale Ale, Torpedo, Porter, Stout, Kellerweis, four seasonal beers, Estate Ale, Harvest Ales, Ovila Abbey Ales and a host of draught-only specialties.
UPDATED WITH THIS VIDEO FROM FOX CAROLINA
FLETCHER, NC (FOX Carolina) – North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue along with other local government officials were on hand in Henderson County on Wednesday for a major jobs announcement.
Perdue said that Sierra Nevada Brewery Company will open a brewery, bottling and distribution operation in Mills River, NC.
During the announcement, Perdue said the brewery’s opening in Henderson County would create 95 full-time jobs, 80 part-time jobs and invest $107.5 million during the next five years. They are expected to break ground in the next year.
Perdue said the state wanted the company to open the facility in western North Carolina badly and were thankful Sierra Nevada noticed what was being done with microbrewing in the area.
The company had a morning meeting with officials before announcing the partnership. The governor said it is a perfect union between North Carolina and Sierra Nevada.
“After carefully looking at more than 200 sites east of the Mississippi, Sierra Nevada is pleased to locate our second brewery in Henderson County,” said Ken Grossman, CEO of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. “We are very grateful to the officials in Mills River, Henderson County and the State of North Carolina whose time, effort and commitment were instrumental in making this happen. We are proud to be associated with the many fine breweries that call North Carolina home.”
Perdue said the partnership was like, “Turning grain into gold here in western North Carolina.”
Sierra Nevada will be the first occupant of the 262-acre Ferncliff Park site. Their facility is expected to include a restaurant, tasting room and live music venue.
Local micro-brewers are excited to have the larger company in the region, with anticipation for fringe benefits, and the expansion of the micro-brew destination the region has become.
“Even though we’re beer city, and we have all these breweries here, the amount of beer they’re going to make is going to be way more than what all of us make collectively,” said Joe Rowland, owner of Nantahala Brewing Co., in Bryson City, “and when you have those numbers, you start to attract, the same suppliers they use, we all use.”
The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development said the average annual wage for jobs created will be $41,526 plus benefits, exceeding the county’s average wage by 28 percent.
On Tuesday, FOX Carolina spoke with an official at Sierra Nevada’s headquarters in Chico, CA, who said that North Carolina was on a short list but no decision had yet been made. The company said they were planning to open their second operation east of the Mississippi River.
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