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Chapter Meeting - September
11, 2007 - 5:30pm
Plant Tour: Bells
Brewery, Inc.
APICS SWMI Members & Guests - Please join us
for our kickoff event of 2007-08 as we enjoy a tour of Bell's
Brewery, Inc. with our colleagues from ISM and ASQ.
DIRECTIONS:
Please note that 35th Street through Galesburg is under
construction. You are advised to come from the west (Sprinkle
Road). Directions are below.
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Bell's
Brewery, Inc., founded by Larry Bell as a
home-brewing supply shop in 1983, sold its first
beer in 1985. Originally brewing in a 15-gallon soup
kettle, the company grew rapidly on top of its first
year's 135 barrels (BBL = 31 gal.) of production.
Bell's Brewery has grown from a tiny operation
renting part of a former plumbing supply warehouse,
to a bustling, regional craft brewery that plays a
role in changing the beerscape of our nation.
Although
the micro-brewing, "craft brewing" revolution
began on the West coast in the 1970s, the Midwest saw this
brewing development much later. Bell's Brewery, Inc. stands
as the oldest craft-brewer East of Boulder, Colorado. After
struggling against the tide of a major-domestic beer market
while producing robust, full-bodied ales, Bell's Brewery
began to see the demand for craft-brewing grow dramatically. |
Originally self-distributed, Larry and crew brewed, bottled
and delivered all of the beer to market for the company's
first four years. By 1989, Bell's Brewery was shipping over
500 barrels annually and assigned its first wholesaler,
while continuing to establish itself across the State of
Michigan. Soon venturing into Indiana and Chicago, Bell's
Brewery had continued growth and its Bell's brands were soon
known across the Midwest for their unique style and flavor.
Bell's Brewery has built a nationwide reputation as a
creative and talented brewery.
2002 proved to be an intense and formative year for the
company. While working hard to build a new production
facility in order to provide for its ongoing growth, Bell's
Brewery still managed to increase production over 15%,
brewing and shipping over 31,500 barrels of beer. A
fifty-barrel Steinecker brewhouse drives the new 32,000
square foot brewery, located in nearby Comstock, Michigan.
It is complimented by several new fermenters and an
integrated bottling hall that includes a new Krones filler.
The "Krum Avenue plant" brewed and packaged its
first beer in late December, 2002. The original Kalamazoo
Avenue plant will remain active brewing beer for the
Eccentric Cafe and specialty projects. Together, the two
plants give Bell's Brewery, Inc. a potential annual capacity
of close to 60,000 barrels of production. Currently, the
brewery sells its beer across a nine-state Midwestern trade
area, through a network of over thirty quality wholesalers.
Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and
artistically, bringing an authentic and pleasant experience
to all of our customers through our unique beers. We look
forward to sharing our beers with you.
The
Eccentric Cafe: On June 11, 1993, Bell's Brewery,
Inc. became the first Michigan brewery to serve beer by the
glass to the public. Their Eccentric Cafe offers customers a
chance to taste many of their well known beers, as well as
small batch brews that are not distributed outside of the
pub. Visitors enjoy its warm atmosphere and spacious beer
garden. The Eccentric also features interesting food, an
extensive collection of art and live music Thursday thru
Sunday.
Date:
Tuesday,
September 11, 2007
Location:
Bell's Brewery, Inc., 8938 Krum Ave., Galesburg, MI 49053
Time: Hors d’oeuvres, Networking @ 5:30 pm. Tours will also begin @ 5:30 pm.
Directions:
Take I-94 to Sprinkle Road, Exit 80. From Cork Street (north side of the I-94 overpass), proceed north on Sprinkle Road to the 6th traffic light (E. Michigan Ave). Turn right
(east) on East Michigan and proceed approximately 5 miles past the Hickory Ridge Golf Course (left/north side of road). The second street
on the right past Hickory Ridge is Van Bruggen Street, which
brings you into the Comstock Business Park. Take Van Bruggen
to the end and follow the road to the left (Krum). Take Krum
to the end. The Bells plant will be on your right.
Website: http://www.bellsbeer.com/
Cost:
FREE
!!!
To
RSVP Contact:
Denise
Jacobs, (269) 375-4900 x3430 or djacobs@edwardsgarment.com
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