Bell's Brewery opens new brewhouse

COMSTOCK, Mich. (WOOD) - Already one of the most successful breweries in the U.S, family-owned Bell's Brewery, Inc. showed off on Monday new facilities that will more than double its output.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday for Bell's new brewhouse and expanded production facility. The new building is at 8993 Krum Avenue in Comstock.

The new brewhouse will allow Bell's to produce an additional half-a-million barrels of beer a year.

The new brewhouse was announced as there have been rumors that the company will no longer be family-owned.

But owner Larry Bell said though there has been no shortage of people who want to purchase the 27-year-old brewery, he's not selling.

"I know the rumor," said Larry Bell. "There have been rumors about us selling for the last 15 years and none of them are true. We remain fiercely independent."

Bell's has grown to be the 13th largest brewery in the country. A growing number of beer drinkers are demanding craft beers like those made at Bell's.

"We make good beer," Bell said.

In 2011, Bell's produced just over 180,000 barrels of beer. The company said it will produce more than 230,000 in 2012 -- and the new brew house will eventually allow that figure to increase to 800,000.

That's roughly 285 million 12-ounce-beers -- just about one beer for every U.S. citizen over 21.

Even Bell himself is hard-pressed to explain that level of success.

"Back in the day when we were washing bottles by hand, I would have never imagined that one day we would be in this beautiful high-tech facility," he said.

Bell's now employees 173 people. In 2011, 35 additional employees were added. Already in 2012, 38 more workers have come on board and as demand and supply increase. The company is continuing to look for more workers.

The public can tour the new facility from noon to 5 p.m. on May 19 and 20.

The brewery's main facility is at 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. in downtown Kalamazoo.