West Michigan Becomes "Beer Region USA"

Mayor George Heartwell

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell and his counterpart in Kalamazoo, Bobby Hopewell, have decided to brand West Michigan as “Beer Region USA.” They will celebrate that at the Founders Brewing Co. plant.

Grand Rapids took first-place in the Beer City USA contest this year. Kalamazoo finished in second-place. 

Heartwell and Hopewell are going to tour the Founders Brewing Co. plant on the southwest side of downtown Grand Rapids, July 23. The tour will include both brew houses, the original 30-barrel brewing system and the 2011 expansion of the facility that includes a KHS kegging line and a Krones Bottling line.

Craft brewing is the newest manufacturing industry to take hold in Michigan. New brewers are launching businesses across the state, including Grand Rapids, Kalmaazoo and Detroit.

The stories of these entrepreneurs are told in Quenching the Thirst, part of the Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance ebook essay series.

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