Widmer & Craft Brew Alliance Announce $3 Million Expansion

Widmer Brewing will begin an expansion project on Monday designed to boost capacity for the Craft Brew Alliance (Widmer, Kona & Redhook).  Details from OregonLive:

Widmer Brothers Brewing is expanding its Portland, Ore., brewery to increase production by as much as 10,000 to 12,000 barrels per month. Beginning Monday, May 21, the brewery will install the first two of four new 1,750 barrel fermentation tanks. This expansion reaffirms the brewery’s commitment to growing Oregon’s craft beer industry, fuels local job creation, and allows the company to increase production while remaining at its North Portland location.

"We are thrilled to expand the brewery. Our last expansion was in 2008, and we’re to a point where increasing the brewery’s capacity has become necessary for further growth," said Kurt Widmer, co-founder of Widmer Brothers Brewing. "This expansion is not only a significant landmark for Widmer Brothers, but for the Oregon craft beer community. While national domestic beer sales are declining, craft beer is on the rise and the Portland brewing community is largely behind driving the innovation and excitement for the craft beer industry."

The company is investing more than $3 million in the expansion, which is part of a multi-phased growth project that includes a $1.7 m investment in the new fermentation tanks, and a $1.3 m investment in the brewery’s bright tank cellar which is due to be complete in the fall. The expansion will increase the brewery’s production capacity by 140,000 barrels per year, estimating to a total annual capacity of 700,000 to 800,000 barrels and will serve the needs of Widmer Brothers Brewing and the Craft Brew Alliance portfolio. The brewery expects to be operating at full capacity by 2013 and will now run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Full details here.

And here’s the 1st tank rolling in today (5/21)