ing the IPA in the LCBO in May.”
one expansion almost two years ago where we doubled our production capacity by adding tanks. And hopeful- ly in the next six months we will be further along on our next expansion, which will once again be increasing our capacity by adding more tanks again. An expansion of our packaging facility is also in the works.” Freeman closes off by explaining that distribution diver- sification is becoming necessary, just by virtue of dimin- ishing shelf space for retailers. “The market is so crowded now that it is getting tough to find shelf space. When we first started, we could call ten LCBOs in a day and eight of them would take us on. Now we hear ‘call us back in a month’ because space is so limited. So we are trying find other avenues to sell our beer. Recently, we have turned toward the Beer Store. We’ve launched three full-time brands with them at this point. And we will be rotating the IPA there in June.” “The real art in the craft is making a well balanced beer that you can keep coming back to.” That’s good news for those of us who love Collingwood’s very balanced flavours. As summer slowly approaches in Ontario, you can be sure to see a can of Collingwood sitting on the arm of a Muskoka chair at a lake near you. Look for it at your favourite beer retailer and don’t forget to tell them who sent ya! Kick back and relax!
Like most craft breweries, community plays a huge role in the success of Collingwood. “Our goal is to be a commu- nity brewery. We even bill ourselves as The Collingwood Brewery. So it’s really important for us to have ties to all sorts of community groups and support local activities, which we do as much as we can. We are trying to tie that support in with our tap room and give people the oppor- tunity to come and use it for their own activities. Commu- nity groups, sports teams, whatever.” Getting the message out to the community is no small feat for the brewery because they are tucked away in an industrial area, a little off the beaten path. However, they often take their activities on the road to spread the good word. Freeman mentions, “There are festivals and a few other types of events that we participate in. And we support lots of charities and community groups through fundraising. Things like sponsoring a hole on the golf course for charity tournaments, or donating gift baskets or tap room experiences. We help with fundraisers for schools and churches in Collingwood. We are always trying to leverage our space and resources to help people improve the community.”
So what’s next?
“For us, it’s a couple things,” Freeman points out. “We did
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APRIL 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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