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Monday, 08 March 1999 00:00 |
Consumer demand is driving the current Alaskan Brewing Company expansion without increasing the distribution area, something few breweries are experiencing.
At a time when the microbrew industry as a whole is maturing, Alaskan Brewing Company's decision to increase brewing ccapacity wasn't taken lightly. In fact, Alaskan is one of few microbreweries in the country undergoing expansion without increasing their distribution area.
Alaskan's decision to install four 1100 barrel tanks is important to the company's future. The tanks increase Alaskan's brewing capacity to 72,000 barrels and ultimately satisfy the increasing demands set by consumers in current Alaskan markets.
"Alaskan is in a unique market position. We are increasing our brewing capacity in order to meet existing demand, in existing markets, for our product," said Marcy Larson, co-founder of Alaskan Brewing Company. "It's unique from the perspective that we are not expanding into new markets. This is driven entirely by consumer demand for our quality product."
All across the country, past trends have led many microbreweries to rapidly expand into new markets with the hope of increasing their customer base, only to fail. So why has Alaskan been able to expand in an industry that experienced declines in the past year?
Many point to the conservative, yet consistent growth over the years at Alaskan. The company has built a solid following of customers, and has consistently produced award winning beer. The brewery has accomplished this while maintaining a constant focus on its mission and the integrity of the beer produced. These efforts have paid off allowing Alaskan to grow while remaining true to the grassroots vision of the brewery's founders.
Alaskan's ability to grow in an industry climate that has reached a plateau speaks well for Alaskan. It also demonstrates that even in maturing markets, beer consumers will remain loyal and ask for more when the product is consistent and high quality. "At Alaskan, we strive to provide our customers with a beer that will have the same award winning taste, time after time, drink after drink. It's a great feeling and a tribute to the Alaskan Brew Crew to have our product in such demand," said Larson.
And if the microbrew business climate wasn't intimidating enough, operating a brewery out of Juneau, Alaska also has its challenges. Installing new tanks has hurdles in and of itself, but add into the mix winter conditions with ice and snow and frigid temperatures, in addition to the remoteness of Juneau and you have a whole new keg of beer.
The installation of these four tanks occurred in mid-February with less than desirable weather conditions. In fact, some have come to call it the blizzard of '99. The tanks were barged into Juneau, and from there were trucked through the snow and ice covered streets of Juneau. Once at the brewery, the tanks were hoisted into position with the help of a crane, all the while battling bitter winds and heavy snowfall. Before the tanks' concrete pads could be poured, the ground had to be thawed. This required thousands of gallons of hot water to be poured on the ground to shake Old Man Winter's grip. Once thawed and the concrete pads in place, the tanks were momentously installed.
Cold, wind, blinding snow...hey, we're Alaskan. We welcome the adventure!
For More Information Contact:
Kristi Monroe
(907) 780-5866
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