Government pledges $1.6 million to 20 Ontario brewers

Toronto – The Ontario government and the Government of Canada are investing over $1.6 million in the projects of 20 craft breweries across Ontario to help them expand operations and to continue to grow the province’s craft beer sector, it was announced today.

Business development, major capital investments, human resource development, marketing strategy are some of the included initiatives.

Funding is delivered jointly by the federal and provincial governments through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative funding agri-food and agri-products sectors.

“Ontario’s craft beer industry is a great success story for this province. Craft brewers continue to build on new market opportunities in the production and sale of a range of premium quality beers. As Ontarians enjoy the activities of this year’s Craft Beer week, we are very excited to announce our support for Ontario’s brewers by making key investments in the development of their businesses,” said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada today.

John Hay, President of the Ontario Craft Brewers noted in resonse,”Growing Forward 2 is a superb grant program which allows government to respond directly to the exact needs breweries have to continue growing and creating more jobs in their communities.”

“We are grateful to the Provincial government for the recent improvements to retail access and the new governance model for The Beer Store; and, in particular, opening up the grocery channel. Of course, we look forward to more store announcements in the future,” added Hay.

Funding schedule:

County Account Project Description GF2 Funding Amount Durham Region All or Nothing Brewhouse The company will develop a strategic business plan that highlights requirements such as capital, human resources and time required to complete the expansion of production capabilities. $17,500.00 Durham Region All or Nothing Brewhouse Staff within the company will complete a specialist beer course. $676.87 Durham Region All or Nothing Brewhouse The company will complete a brand awareness search for website domains, trademarks, logos and similar products to its current offering. $324.50 Durham Region All or Nothing Brewhouse The company will complete multiple training workshops. $835.00 Durham Region All or Nothing Brewhouse The company will develop a formal business plan. $2,966.25 Durham Region All or Nothing Brewhouse The company will attend the 2014 Ontario Craft Brewers Association Conference. $175.00 Durham Region All or Nothing Brewhouse The company will complete the Beer Sommelier Course. $1,072.37 Elgin County Railway City Brewing Company Ltd. The company will prepare a market development plan to increase share in current markets and also guide entry into the US and other provincial markets. $21,500.00 Halton Region Nickel Brook Brewing Company The project includes building an efficient packaging line to meet the demand and support the company’s growth. $100,000.00 Halton Region Nickel Brook Brewing Company This project is to purchase, install and commission a canning line to increase labour productivity and efficiency. $100,000.00 Halton Region Cameron’s Brewing Company The company will purchase and implement a new canning line to package beer in cans in-house. The project also includes marketing and promotional material. $150,960.00 Lanark County Perth Brewery Co. Ltd The company will provide specialist beer training for some staff. $2,431.00 Middlesex County Toboggan Brewing Company Ltd. This project will support process development, market development, recipe development, business strategy and marketing of the brand in order to make the brewery a food and beverage attraction. $6,684.50 Muskoka District Lake of Bays Brewing Company Limited The company will develop a growth and investment plan. $2,000.00 Muskoka District Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery Inc o/a Muskoka Brewery Inc The company will complete a business assessment and develop a market expansion plan. $37,500.00 Muskoka District Lake of Bays Brewing Company Limited This project includes equipment and business improvements to improve efficiencies and increase labour productivity. $13,133.05 Muskoka District The Sawdust City Brewing Co. The project includes retrofitting a new location to enable expanded production and reduced per unit costs with an aim to expand market share and enable contract brewing and canning for other craft breweries. $79,100.00 Muskoka District Lake of Bays Brewing Company Limited The project includes a new centrifuge filtration system, keg equipment, packaging equipment and associated electrical upgrades. $100,000.00 Muskoka District Lake of Bays Brewing Company Limited This project is to develop a market development plan that includes customer research, market research and recommendations on positioning. $20,000.00 Muskoka District Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery Inc o/a Muskoka Brewery Inc This project is for re-branding, packaging and labeling to emphasize the Brewery’s natural and authentic brand. The company will strengthen the consumers perception of their products as a higher-value, premium craft beer. $116,640.40 Muskoka District Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery Inc o/a Muskoka Brewery Inc The company has hired a Public Relations (PR) agency to develop core communication strategies to attract new consumers, develop a digital media strategy and media relations strategy. $10,000.00 Muskoka District Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery Inc o/a Muskoka Brewery Inc The company will perform market research and conduct a market survey to gather necessary consumer data. $85,000.00 Muskoka District Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery Inc o/a Muskoka Brewery Inc The company will hire a consulting firm to conduct market research and develop a product launch strategy. $12,500.00 Muskoka District Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery Inc o/a Muskoka Brewery Inc The company will create a market development plan which includes a United States (US) market entry strategy, Strenghts Weaknesses Opportunites Threats (SWOT) analysis and feasibility studies. $15,125.00 Niagara Region Brimstone Brewery Company Inc. The company will complete training on the master brewer program to increase organizational capacity. $9,050.00 Niagara Region Brimstone Brewery Company Inc. The project includes new brewery equipment to increase production capacityand onsite tap room renovations to attract more customers. $100,000.00 Niagara Region Brimstone Brewery Company Inc. The company will purchase a walk-in cooler to accommodate the increased supply gained by the new brewing system. The cooler will store kegged and bottled beer at the required controlled temperature to ensure high quality standards. $6,650.00 Niagara Region Niagara Oast House Brewers The company will do undertake building renovations as well as purchase and install a fermenter with a keg filler and forty 30-litre kegs, a malt silo and a 150 litre brewhouse system. The project will also equip a quality control/product development lab and plan/design a canning line. $91,393.40 Ottawa Region Kichesippi The company will complete Sommelier Beer Training Courses Part 1 and 2. $1,483.13 Ottawa Region Kichesippi The project is to implement a new automated canning system and supporting equipment to increase production. $91,910.63 Peterborough County The Publican House Brewery The company will develop a financial model that can be used to assess growth opportunities and identify a capital structure to support future activities. $12,000.00 Peterborough County The Publican House Brewery The project consists of automating the canning and labeling product lines. $29,250.45 Prescott & Russell County Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. The company will undertake formal growth and investment planning in order to maximize its growth potential. $25,000.00 Renfrew County Whitewater Brewing Company The company will redesign the facility to enable increased productivity and efficiency as well as improved product quality. $24,189.57 Toronto Region Left Field Brewery The company will establish a long term strategy to help make connections in the beer industry and give the owners vital training in the microbrewery industry. $3,008.91 Toronto Region Left Field Brewery The company will conduct an assessment to gain industry knowledge to remain ahead of market trends, equipment innovation, operational innovation, and be prepared to implement and capitalize on productivity innovations. $3,024.77 Toronto Region Left Field Brewery This project is for equipment in a new brewing facility that includes a new 20-barrel/3 vessel brew house system and three 40-barrel fermentation tanks. $100,000.00 Toronto Region The Amsterdam Brewing Co. Limited The company will conduct a plant assessment to determine opportunities for implementing new automated technology on packaging lines and identifying potential process improvements. $70,200.00 Toronto Region Kensington Brewery Company Inc. The project consists of developing floor, engineering and architectural plans for a new craft brewery plant in Toronto. Brand development and consulting on reducing wastage and promoting efficient management will also be included. $9,072.50 Waterloo Region Brick Brewing Co Limited The company will undertake on-site mechanic training to increase skills and productivity on the new equipment. $4,660.00 Wellington County Wellington County Brewery Inc. The project is to install a new automated canning line in the new facility. $100,000.00 Wellington County Wellington County Brewery Inc. The company will invest in strategic processing equipment to increase automation and improve labour productivity and efficiency with an aim to increasing output for meeting consumer demand. $83,820.56