GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Another West Michigan brewery is closing, but there are some signs the industry isn't entirely flat. The Brewers Association says there was an eight percent growth in production nationwide in 2021.
In 2020, the craft beer industry saw a nine percent decline in production, and while things are looking better for breweries in West Michigan now, there are still challenges ahead.
"There's a lot of wonderful positive things that this industry contributes to our communities," Cedar Springs Brewing Company owner David Ringler says.
You can't get too far in West Michigan without passing by a locally-owned brewery, and come next month, there'll be one less brewery in Grand Rapids.
"COVID, the pandemic of the last couple of years, has been a struggle for everyone in virtually every industry," Ringler says.
He's also Vice President of the Michigan Brewers Guild and a member of the Beer City Brewers Guild. He's seen plenty of the obstacles local business owners can face
"In Elk [Brewing's] case in particular, they've gone through some changes over the years. And when they closed one location, a lot of times and you saw some employees leaving, I mean, usually that's not a good sign," he says.
A handful of West Michigan breweries have closed since the start of the pandemic. And while capacity limits and similar restrictions lifted last year, there's still challenges out there.
"Almost every industry is struggling for employees, and certainly good employees," Ringler says. "I mean, we're very blessed that we've had a great core with us, but we can certainly use a few more, like everybody else."
Coupled with supply chain issues and rising prices for products, he's also seen more conservative practices in the restaurants that breweries distribute to.
"There's fewer draft lines out there," Ringler says. "We've seen consolidation in the industry."
Nationally, the industry is recovering. More jobs were added in 2021 than in 2020, and Ringler says he thinks the majority of breweries in West Michigan will stand the test of time.
"There's been tears and blood and sweat, that have been shed. But the people that are in any industry that are going to get by are the ones that are passionate about it," he says.
The Brewers Association also reported that in 2021, the rate of closing breweries declined compared to 2020.
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