Though named after a blink-and-miss-it optical phenomenon, Green Flash Brewing is doing all it can to stay visible at all times.
The fast growing brewery out of San Diego, Calif. is undertaking what it’s calling a “multi-tiered growth and expansion strategy,” with a slew of developments on the packaging, brand and production fronts and updates to its executive leadership roster.
After successfully introducing 6-packs in the first quarter of 2015 to its home state of California and Virginia, where the company is building a second brewery, Green Flash is now gearing up for a national rollout of the packaging option to meet “widespread demand.” The company said it expects the July release of West Coast Double IPA, Soul Style IPA, and the Green Flash Hop Odyssey series in 6-packs to increase its national off-premise business “by an estimated 20 percent” this year alone.
Prior to the rollout, Green Flash, the nation’s 48th largest craft brewer by volume, was one of largest craft brewers in the country that did not offer 6-packs for sale. Currently, draft sales account for approximately 60 percent of its business, the company said.
Green Flash is also working on increasing the availability of select draft and packaged products from Alpine Beer Co., the small California beer company it acquired in November of last year. Green Flash said it plans to develop the brand’s draft presence and will begin bottling select beers in 22 oz. bombers beginning in the fourth quarter of this year. Additionally, the brewery will treat Alpine’s coveted Pure Hoppiness with a one-time release in 6-packs this November.
Mike Hinkley, co-founder and CEO of Green Flash, said that in Alpine, the company found a “needle in the haystack.” That said, he said he wouldn’t necessarily close the door on potential future acquisitions or similar partnerships.
“If another amazing combination of brand, beer and people comes along, we would not hesitate to consider the possibilities of teaming up with another small brewery,” he said. “We have worked hard to build a truly great organization and have a lot to offer a small brewery with a strong brand.”
Down in Virginia Beach, where it’s in the process of building out a 58,000 sq. ft. production facility capable of churning out 100,000 barrels of beer per year, work is still in “full swing,” though a projected public opening is slated for May 2016, with total completion scheduled for that summer. The company said it projects initial production there to start at 50,000 barrels.
To help execute behind these latest initiatives, the company has hired a new chief operating officer. Chris Ross, a former executive with 25 years experience at numerous technology companies including QUALCOMM, officially started with the company on September 1.
“I’ve spent my entire professional career in high-tech electronics. To me, the craft beer industry is fresh, exciting and wonderfully intriguing,” said Ross, in a statement. “I’m anxious to apply learnings from my operational experiences in electronics to craft beer. Some will apply, some won’t and there’s always more to learn.”
Hinkley added he plans to remain “completely hands-on in the day to day business, focusing on big-picture business strategy.”
Green Flash sold 64,640 barrels of beer in 2014, up 16 percent over the year prior, according to the Brewers Association. Counting production from both Green Flash and Alpine, the company said it expects to hit the 100,000-barrel threshold this year.