Life could not be better for James Watt and Martin Dickie the outrageous co-owners of Scotland’s BrewDog Brewery. The duo has a popular program on the Esquire television network, are known for making enormously alcoholic brews (their Nuclear Tactical Penguin once held the title for beer with the highest ABV) and are insanely likeable as beer personalities. On their home turf of Europe, the gregarious Scots have opened a slew of BrewDog pubs with more on the slate to open soon. But, for Americans, the latest news may be the most exciting: yesterday BrewDog announced plans to open a brewing facility near Columbus, Ohio.
In the formal announcement, released June 30, 2015, the company detailed its plans to finance part of the expansion through crowd funding, a method that they have used in the past to great success.
“Our international expansion plans have always been ambitious, but our intentions stateside are probably up there with some of the most ambitious, bombastic, exciting ventures we’ve ever embarked upon,” said Watts of the project. “America has one of the world’s most eclectic, energetic beer scenes imaginable, and we’re psyched to be pledging allegiance to the craft beer revolution in the USA. Planet BrewDog just gained a continent.”
Read the entire press release below:
(Columbus, OH) – Scottish brewery announces details of USA expansion plans
Scottish craft brewery, BrewDog today formally announced its plans to open its North American headquarters and first production facility outside the UK in Canal Winchester, located in the Columbus Region of Ohio. The brewery was inundated with enquiries after it revealed preliminary plans for its USA expansion earlier this month, with the BrewDog Facebook page noting unprecedented shares of the story, reaching more than 150,000 people.
BrewDog’s investment in the brewing facility in Columbus will total $30.4million, including the construction of a 100,000 square foot facility in Canal Winchester, to be completed by August 2016. The site will be the main brewing site for all BrewDog USA’s beer production, as well as boasting a restaurant, taproom and visitor centre.
The launch of BrewDog USA will generate 125 jobs at the Canal Winchester site, and the brewery has announced that it is recruiting for some senior positions immediately.
Applications for the role of CEO, BrewMaster, VP of Sales and CFO are welcome by emailing usajobs@brewdog.com, and prospective Brewers, Packaging Operators and Lab & Quality Managers are invited to get in contact via the same email address.
The site in Ohio will initially serve the U.S. market with potential to export to other countries. It will produce more than 85,200 barrels in its first year of production, increasing capacity in years 2 and 3 until it reaches 852,000 barrels.
Economic development partners in the project include JobsOhio, Columbus 2020 and the City of Canal Winchester.
Columbus based, Triad Architects has been appointed to develop the design for the brewery and headquarters. Hiring for the brewery’s USA site will begin in 2016 and will include positions in production, sales and management.
The crowdfunding revolution
BrewDog has announced that it will be funding the American expansion in part using finance raised via a U.S crowdfunding round; Equity for Punks USA. Last month it launched a landing page for more information about the scheme, which it hopes to open later this year. Interested potential investors can sign up for more information via brewdog.com/equityforpunksusa
Equity for Punks has enabled the brewery to expand as quickly as it has done, and the fourth round of funding opened in Europe in April this year. In the first three weeks after launch, the brewery raised a world record-breaking £5million, a fifth of its £25million target. The amount raised broke the previous record set by BrewDog in 2013, when it raised £4.25 million (less costs) in just over six months.
With the latest round of Equity for Punks, 526,316 shares in BrewDog have been made available, for a minimum investment of £95 for two shares.
The capital raised from investors will be used to fund in particular the expansion of the BrewDog brewery and its international bar division, as well as launching new projects like a craft beer hotel, custom sour beer facility and a distillation plant.
