New Belgium Brewing picks contractor to build $175 million Asheville brewery

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Artist's rendering of what the new brewery might look like.

Artist’s rendering of what the new brewery might look like.

New Belgium Brewing has awarded the construction contract for its $175 million brewery in Asheville to Adolfson & Peterson Construction. Press release here:

 

Adolfson & Peterson Construction (A&P) was recently awarded the contract to build New Belgium Brewing Company’s East Coast brewing facility in Asheville, NC aka “Beer City USA.”

The planned 150,000-sf facility is on an existing 18-acre brownfield site along the French Broad River. Site work and construction are scheduled to begin in early 2013, but brewing will not officially begin at the site until early 2015.

During the two years of construction, it is anticipated that over 350 construction jobs will be created, plus additional jobs for vendors and suppliers to the project. Maximizing local labor and local supplies is important to New Belgium Brewing and to A&P.

The project team worked closely with the Asheville Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations to get the word out about a subcontractor open house that was held at the end of October 2012. The open house was held at The Lift Studios and was a chance for subcontractors and suppliers to meet the project team and to learn how they could get involved in the project. Over 250 subcontractors and suppliers attended the open house.

“We did not anticipate this type of response,” said Cam Mullins, one of the preconstruction managers on the team. “It was great to see the excitement surround the project.”

“A&P understands this project will have significant economic impact in the community, and we are looking forward to partnering with the Asheville community to build this great project,” said Alan Antolak, A&P project manager.

Not only will the construction bring jobs to the area, but, once complete, the brewery will eventually hire over 150 employees and will potentially double the company’s brewing capacity to almost 1.5 million barrels a year. New Belgium Brewing Company plans to invest $175 million in building the facility over the next seven years.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

11 Comments

  1. Emily January 16, 2013

    Anyone know who snagged the Walmart Bleachery and the Target contract a few years back? It would be interesting to connect the dots.

    Reply
  2. Jabob January 16, 2013

    Next thing you know they’ll be using construction workers from other countries………………………….then robots will take all of our jobs soon enough…

    Reply
  3. headhunter January 16, 2013

    Shannon Simmons is right – a project like this requires a contractor with experience in this type of work. For instance, the site preparation work (grading, water lines, sewer, etc) could be sub contracted out to one of several local companies that do have that experience but, quite frankly, it will go to the lowest bidder whether they are local or from Alaska for that matter.

    Reply
  4. Shannon Simmons January 15, 2013

    It is correct that A&P will use many local subcontractors. I attended their pre-bid information meeting a couple of months back. This brewery is a LARGE, COMPLEX ,INDUSTRI AL project. Very few, if any, local companies would have the experience or the money or the appropriate personnel to undertake a project of this scope. If the local guys exist, I’m sure they had the opportunity to place a bid.

    From what I’ve seen, New Belgium is serious about promoting the overall welfare of Asheville and therefore, I’m sure as many local workers as possible will be utilized. The guys from A&P seemed to have been directed to do so.

    Reply
  5. SuckItMcGee January 15, 2013

    I have absolutely no idea about how this kind of thing works, so maybe someone can answer:

    This company will essentially just manage the entire operation, correct? I mean, it is still more feasible for them to sub-contract local craftspeople to do all of the heavy lifting rather than truck them all in from Charlotte/Tempe/etc. So in my mind, a lot of the money DOES stay in local hands (though not all of it, of course).

    Does anyone out there have any insight into this?

    Reply
  6. FDR January 15, 2013

    Don’t know that we have enough skilled labor here for their needs. Be careful Asheville, not to cut off your nose to spite your face.

    Reply
  7. richard cary January 15, 2013

    A cliff? or a slope?

    Reply
  8. Murphy January 15, 2013

    they do have several locations …

    Reply
  9. localvore January 15, 2013

    I see a Charlotte address for this builder, not Minnesota.

    Really Asheville, what did you think? That NBB would only hire out of Buncombe county?

    They never said that.

    You really need to wake up and smell the beer.

    Reply
  10. chett January 15, 2013

    a Minnesota construction company is hired to do a job in NC THANKS NEW BELGIUM

    Reply
  11. Murphy January 15, 2013

    The construction company is from Tempe, Arizona.

    Reply

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