Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | August 21, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 9 844.474.3385 15 Midstate Drive Suite 210 | Auburn MA 01501 completepayrollsolutions.com HR. Benefits. Payroll. Compliance. In Massachusetts: Auburn, Springfield, Boston, Attleboro, South Hadley and Chatham In Connecticut: Middletown and Brookfield ...with best-in-class Human Capital Management HCM and local experts to help guide you. Unleash your Workforce to do great work... A selection of the many breweries in Central Massachusetts W 1 A 2 3 4 5 B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W V opening?'" Burns said. Purgatory Brewing Co. in Northbridge, had such humbling beginnings as a home brewer, said Co-Founder Brian Distefano. Now, the brewery is opening a loca- tion in the Linwood Mill in Northbridge sometime in September. He and business partner Kevin Muvehill have received nothing but support from other local breweries offering discounted equipment, includ- ing Worcester's Wormtown Brewery. Because of this collaboration and support, Distefano isn't thinking ahead to when the brewery boom begins to slow. "Just like any other business, I think growth is awesome and very exciting," he said. Steps to be successful Rob Van, a beer enthusiasts who runs Massachusetts-based massbrewbros. com, said the craft beer market remains friendly, but the rapid expansion is turning would-be entrepreneurs away. Van's website says 59 breweries are pending opening in Massachusetts. That potential for competition, coupled with the time and expenses of opening a brewery has deterred some from exploring the idea, he said. To succeed in the current craft beer environment, breweries need at least two of three things: amazing beer, a fantastic location and a really well- thought out business plan, he said. "If you don't have two or three of those things in this environment, I think you could be really struggling," Van said. Nurturing American creativity The founders of Craftroots Brewing in Milford feel they meet those criteria. Though the brewery is located in a warehouse in an industrial park by I-495 (per town bylaws), their business model promotes the reinvigorated local commerce scene: all of the brewery's grain and hops come from family farms in New England. Like most local breweries, Craftroots holds fundraisers for local organizations and sports teams and collaborates with other local businesses. The brewery has the means and resources to expand and grow, but it has resisted so far – mostly to protect the integrity of the beer and brand. "I want to ensure that the beer is being consumed as I intended it to taste," said co-founder Maureen Fabry. Craftroots, too, has been the benefi- ciary of discounted supplies from other local brewers. Despite the failures of some smaller breweries, Fabry contends beermakers' elbows aren't getting any sharper just yet. Fabry called the growth a flourishing of creativity rather than a dog-eat-dog, cutthroat business. "Suddenly people want to know where their food and beer comes from," she said. "What's cool about American creativity is that we can sustain this growth because no beer is truly alike." Co-founder and wife Robin Fabry equated the boom to the growing local restaurant scene. "Every restaurant is full," she said. "There's enough food and enough beer to make everybody happy." Pending breweries 1. Altruist Brewing Co. 2. Amory's Tomb Brewing Co. 3. Purgatory Brewing Co. 4. Timberyard Brewing Co. 5. Weldon Woods Brewing Established breweries A-3Cross Brewing Co. B-Battle Road Brew House C-Bolton Beer Works D-Cold Harbor Brewing E-Craftroots Brewing F-Exhibit A Brewing G-Flying Dreams H-Framingham Beer Works I-Gardner Ale House J-Homefield Brewing K-Jack's Abby Craft Lagers L-John Harvard's Brewery M-Kretschman Brewery N-Medusa Brewing Co. O-River Styx Brewing P-Spencer Trappist Brewery Q-Sringdale Barrel Room R-Start Line Brewing Co. S-Still River Brewery T-Stone Cow Brewery U-True West Brewing Co. V-Wachusett Brewing Co. W-Wormtown Brewery G O O G L E / W B J M A P

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