With annual sales in excess of $10 million, Larry Bell is pouring about $1.1 million back into his Kalamazoo Brewing Co.
Bell said work on a 10,000-square-foot addition to the 31,000-square-foot building which serves as the company’s main production area began last week. The $625,000 addition will eventually house about $500,000 in new equipment.
The building sits on five acres of a 10-acre parcel owned by Bell, which leaves plenty of room for expansion, he said.
In May, Kalamazoo Brewing recorded a company record for monthly sales, 5,912 barrels. The company will celebrate 20 years in business in September making it the oldest craft brewery east of Boulder, Colo.
Besides the company’s expansion at its current location, it has purchased three former lumber buildings in downtown Kalamazoo. Two of the buildings will be used for warehousing extra equipment, kegs and tanks. One of those two will eventually be used as a beer museum.
The third building will be razed and its space will be used for parking to accommodate additional business at his company’s pub which Bell is planning on converting into a bar and restaurant.