Cheers! London micro-brewer Equals buys craft brewery amid growth
London’s Equals Brewery has bought a Collingwood craft brewer as the local business expands its footprint in the micro-brewery industry.
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London’s Equals Brewery has bought a Collingwood craft brewer as the local business expands its footprint in the micro-brewery industry.
Equals purchased Side Launch, a move that will allow it to grow by tapping into excess capacity at Side Launch to brew more beer, said Brian Semkowski, managing partner of Equals.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“It’s a great brand and we needed extra capacity,” he said. “We’ll do a lot of product there. It’s a great facility and gives us flexibility to go back and forth.”
Equals, located on Sovereign Road, has more than 40 tanks on site and they’re at capacity. It still plans to add 26,000 sq. ft. to its London site to add tanks and packaging lines.
“This business is very capital-intensive and rather than buy more tanks now, we saw we could expand” by buying Side Launch, Semkowski said. “It’s an easy way to have more space.”
Side Launch also has more brands sold in LCBO than Equals, giving it a larger presence in the major retail market.
“This gives us flexibility we need. We do have a lot in LCBO and this gives us more and a better profile,” Semkowski said.
Side Launch, in business since 2013, makes a selection of beers but is known for its wheat beer, dark lager and pale ale. It will continue to brew its current selection on site.
It also has a tap room that Semkowski wants to grow, seeing it as a pub that can draw on Collingwood as a year-round tourism destination. “It will have good food, good atmosphere. It will be fun.”
Equals started in 2018 as an overflow brewer, making beer for existing craft breweries that needed more production but didn’t want to invest in costly, massive tanks. It began brewing its own beer, Shake Lager, and Bangarang hard seltzer drinks. It now makes 60 products for 30 different companies.
“We need to add a canning line, and we will add more fermenters,” and a packaging line in London, he said. “This (deal) just gives us room to grow.”
Equals has 75 full- and part-time staff; Side Launch has 17 employees.
Side Launch’s 27,000 sq. ft. brewery is located on 15 acres near Blue Mountain.
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