Humm Kombucha to build East Coast manufacturing facility in Roanoke

Humm Kombucha plans to build a $10 million East Coast manufacturing facility in Roanoke.

The 100,000-square-foot facility would be built on a 12-acre site in the Roanoke Centre for Industry & Technology. The company is expected to employ 50 people in Roanoke.

The Bend, Ore., company makes fermented tea. It is the second company from that Oregon city to come to Roanoke. Last year, Bend-based Deschutes Brewery announced it would build a brewery in the same industrial park.

The Roanoke Regional Partnership estimates that the Humm project would have a $58 million annual economic impact on the regional economy.

“Through its friendship with Deschutes, Humm saw that the Roanoke region was a good fit from both business and cultural perspectives,” Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, said in a statement.  “Being the East Coast home of Humm Kombucha just adds energy to what is going on here.”

The company started in 2009 when its co-founders began selling their product at farmers’ markets and by home delivery. Today, Humm employs 100 people in Bend. Its product is available in all 50 states as well as Sweden at retail outlets such as Target, Safeway, Wal-Mart, Costco and Publix. 

The city of Roanoke, the Roanoke Economic Development Authority, Roanoke Regional Partnership and Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked to secure the project for Virginia. Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $150,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the city with the project.

The company is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Construction is expected to begin soon. Humm Kombucha plans to be in operation in 2019.