USA: Boston Beer Co. to decide whether to build a brewery in Freetown

Officials from Boston Beer Co., the makers of Sam Adams beer, hope to decide before summer on whether to open a brewery in Freetown, South Coast Today published May 24.

Company officials, including president and CEO Martin Roper, met with selectmen this week explaining that they were seeking grants to pay for water and sewer lines upgrades on the property where a plant would be located.

Mr. Roper was optimistic and presented a posterboard-size picture of the 250,000-square-foot "Freetown Brewery."

Mr. Roper estimated the brewery project would cost between $170 million and $210 million, an increase from the $75 million to $90 million originally proposed. The number of anticipated full-time jobs to be generated stands at 50 to 75.

During a telephone interview, Boston Beer spokeswoman Michelle Sullivan indicated that "a decision hasn't been made yet" regarding whether the brewery will be built on the Campanelli site.

She referred to the fact that Freetown has no sewer system at this time and buys water from Fall River. "It is a huge financial undertaking that requires a long evaluation process. We plan to make a decision by this summer," Ms. Sullivan said.

Asked whether Boston Beer Company was still considering other cities or towns, such as New Bedford and Acushnet — both had expressed interest in having a brewery in their communities — Ms. Sullivan said the company had "really narrowed in on Freetown."

If a brewery is to be built in the area, it will be built somewhere in Freetown, she said.

While nothing is certain, the company's CEO's comments Monday night at the selectmen's meeting were promising.

"We have been delighted with the town's support. Everything is green light from a construction permit point of view," said Mr. Roper.

Selectmen Chairman Lawrence Ashley offered his continued support for the project. He also noted the economic benefits of having a brewery in town, as well as the pride associated with having Freetown on the Boston Beer label.

McCabe Enterprises and Kelly Engineering were hired by Boston Beer Company Inc., on behalf of Freetown, to plan and find funding for the infrastructure improvements needed to build a brewery in Freetown.

"We are designing the sewer to accommodate the brewery as well as other future projects," said David Kelly of Kelly Engineering Group Inc.

The South Main Street sewer extension project will connect Campanelli Business Park, the anticipated site of the Freetown Brewery, to the Fall River water and sewer lines and will feature a large pumping station in the vicinity of Ridge Hill and Alexander Way.

"We are hoping to get a (Department of Environment Protection) permit soon and start building," said Mr. Kelly.

Kathleen McCabe of McCabe Enterprises outlined how organizers plan to fund the project.

"We are hoping to have about $5 million from various sources so the town does not have to rely on internal resources," said Ms. McCabe. Her company is making arrangements to apply to several federal and state grant programs.

The Boston Beer Company is best known for its Samuel Adams Boston Lager, a family recipe that dates back to the 1800s. Six weeks after the lager was introduced in Boston on Patriots Day 1985, Samuel Adams was selected "The Best Beer in America" in The Great American Beer Festival's Consumer Preference Poll, an honor it went on to win four consecutive times. Since 2000, Samuel Adams has won more awards in international beer tasting competitions than any other brewery in the world.

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .