The Brinery is gearing up to move into a larger home just north of Ann Arbor, which will allow the slow-food start-up to ramp up production to meet its growing demand.
The Ann Arbor-based company makes sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles and tempeh. It's founder, David Klingenberger, has been making sauerkraut in his home for years before launching
The Brinery three years ago. Today the business employs four people a few interns after hiring a production assistant in recent months. Klingenberger expects to hire another couple people later this year after it makes it move to a bigger space this fall.
"The square footage will increase significantly," Klingenberger says. "And there is room for growth. There is a 5,000-square-foot warehouse we can use."
The Brinery plans to move into the Washtenaw Food Hub this September. The
Washtenaw Food Hub is a new facility meant to help provide support to local farmers and food companies to become economically and environmentally sustainable.
The Brinery has been doubling its production each year it has been in business and move to the Washtenaw Food Hub is expected to allow that to happen over the next year. Also helping boost sales is The Brinery's new distribution partnership with R Hirt Jr, which will help it grow from being in a few dozen stores and restaurants to more than 1,000.
"They will really, really increase our reach into stores," Klingenberger says.
Source: David Klingenberger, owner of The Brinery
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.