Michigan-based Bell's Brewery is being sold to an Australian company as owner Larry Bell gets ready to retire.
According to The Detroit News, Bell will sell his 36-year-old brewery to a company called Lion, a subsidiary of Japanese-based Kirin. No price was disclosed, but Bell says fans should expect no major changes.
"I think what people can expect is more of the same," Bell told the paper. "More great beer, more of the values that we cherish in our culture here at Bell's and bigger and better things. We're still going to be making great beer in Comstock, Kalamazoo, and Escanaba, our breweries here in Michigan."
Lion had also recently purchased Colorado-based Bew Belgium Brewing Co. in 2019.
"New Belgium has been very successful the last couple years since Lion acquired them," Bell added. "They've had incredible growth, they've hired people, they're making more beer and this makes a lot of sense for all of us."
Bell, 63, founded his company in Kalamazoo in 1985. He told MLive that he was ready to retire.
"I had a couple health issues the last few years and as you start getting into your 60s you just have to start thinking about these sorts of things and how you’re going to handle it," Bell told MLive. "It's been on my mind a couple years and I think the key thing here has been we found somebody to join forces with that we really respect and like and feel confident in."
According to MLive, once the sale goes through New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer, a Michigan native, will oversee both the Bell's and New Belgium brands.
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