Stone Brewing Busting Out All Over Manufacturing: Growth Forces Brewery to Move From San Marcos to Escondido By BRAD GRAVES June 28, 2004 The growth spurt that has given Stone Brewing Co. national attention is about to make the company too big for its San Marcos business park. So, this producer of assertive beers, which carry names like Arrogant Bastard Ale and Ruination, is moving.
Right now the development is barely more than dirt. But that didn’t stop company leadership from throwing a party. With big, yellow earthmovers rumbling in the background, Stone employees and Escondido city officials celebrated the upcoming move beneath a canopy on Stone’s barely graded parcel. Greg Koch, the company’s chief executive, estimated the new building will be up in 12 months and the brewery will be operating in 15 to 18 months. Steve Wagner, the company’s president and brewmaster, said Stone will be able to produce as many as 200,000 barrels of beer per year in its new home. Stone brewed 25,000 barrels of beer in 2003 and expects to make 34,000 barrels this year. Inc Magazine has recognized Stone on its national list of fastest growing private companies for two years. The company ranked 21st among Fast-Growing Private Companies in the 2004 Book of Lists published by the San Diego Business Journal. The company achieved that rank by reporting revenue growth from $2.6 million in 2000 to $6.0 million in 2002. Stone had $8.4 million in revenue in 2003. Previously, Stone expanded by knocking out walls and annexing adjacent suites at its San Marcos business park. Company leaders seem confident the expansion trend will continue. “We don’t want to move again in two or three years,” Koch said, surveying the six hilltop acres his company is acquiring. The $10 million price tag includes property, tenant improvements, brewery equipment and installation. Not A Microbrewery? The Escondido Research and Technology Center, accessible from Vineyard Avenue, is a project of JRMC Real Estate. The developer plans 14 million square feet of space. Stone is too big to be called a microbrewery, at least technically. With production in excess of 15,000 barrels, Stone is considered a regional specialty brewery. The company distributes its products in 18 states, from Alaska to Massachusetts. Stone began to distribute in New York this spring. One way the company cultivates a following is by opening its brewery to visitors for a few hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The company distributes 2-liter beer jugs — called “growlers” — which customers can refill at the source. Koch said the new facility will be open to the public six days a week. Stone’s current brewery is at 155 Mata Way in San Marcos. The business offers tours and tastings Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
