Constellation to purchase Ballast Point for $1 billion
The craft beer renaissance continues as Constellation Brands announced it will acquire San Diego-based Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits for $1 billion.
The hefty price tag—a record amount for a US craft beer company, according to the Wall Street Journal—is a testament to Constellation’s faith in Ballast Point’s potential growth. The brewer is currently one of the fastest growing beer companies in the US with a portfolio that boasts more than 40 different styles of beer, including its popular Sculpin IPA and Grapefruit Sculpin IPA.
“We started this business nearly 20 years ago with a vision to produce great beer that consumers love and to do it the right way,” says Jack White, founder of Ballast Point. “To achieve that vision, we needed to find the right partner. The team at Constellation shares our values, entrepreneurial spirit and passion for beer and has a proven track record of helping successful premium brands reach the next level of growth and scale.”
Ballast Point is on pace to sell nearly four million cases of beer in 2015, which would represent growth of more than 100 percent compared to sales in 2014. Ballast Point employs more than 500 employees, produces beer in four facilities in the San Diego, CA area, and sells its beer in over 30 states.
“We believe in the vision that Jack and his team have created and we're excited to welcome Ballast Point, one of the most respected craft brewers in the country, to the Constellation Brands family,” says Rob Sands, CEO of Constellation Brands. “Along with imports, craft beer is a key driver of growth and premiumization within the beer industry, with craft doubling its share of the US beer market in the last five years. Ballast Point has certainly been a key driver of that growth.”
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