Virginia lands another major craft brewer

Virginia has landed another major craft brewer.

Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits announced Tuesday it will invest about $48 million to establish an East Coast brewing operation in Botetourt County, which is expected to create 178 jobs.

San Diego-based Ballast Point is the 11th largest craft brewer in the U.S., according to the latest data from the Brewers Association.

The Ballast Point announcement comes two months after another major player in the craft beer market, Bend-Ore.-based Deschutes Brewery, said it plans to locate its Eastern U.S. brewery in Roanoke.

Ballast Point has agreed to purchase the 259,040-square-foot Lawrence Cos. building located on International Parkway in Botetourt Center at Greenfield. The 178 positions will include 133 brewery jobs with an average wage of $41,075 per year. Forty-five hospitality and retail jobs will pay $25,607 per year.

The Roanoke Regional Partnership estimates this project also will have an overall annual economic impact of $3.76 million and create more than 540 secondary jobs.

Ballast Point was started in 1996 by a small group of home brewers. Today, the company employs more than 500 people at four facilities in the San Diego area and sells its beer in more than 30 states. It operates as a stand-alone company after its acquisition in 2015 by Constellation Brands, a major producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $2.4 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Botetourt County with the project. The company also will be eligible to receive a $250,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID). Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

The county will provide more than $1.4 million in tax incentives along with performance grants anticipated at $650,000 and permit fee waivers.

Craft beer is a $22.3 billion market, according to the Brewers Association. Craft beer production increased 12.8 percent in 2015.