Popular local brewery Beau’s purchased by Toronto-based Steam Whistle
Posted Mar 4, 2022 10:44:00 PM.
Well known local brewery Beau's, which is located in Vankleek Hill, has been purchased by the Toronto-based beer company Steam Whistle.
Beau's CEO Steve Beauchesne says the acquisition of the company comes after the brewery merged its sales team with Steam Whistle a few months ago, which proved successful.
“Our Lugtread has gone from number seven in the craft beer ranking for grocery to number one in just a few months with this combined approach, and in LCBO it's gone from number four to number one, so it's really doing wonders for us,” he told The Sam Laprade Show on Friday, March 4.
Beauchesne adds the success of the partnership gave the brewery the confidence to take the relationship with Steam Whistle further.
“As a fully combined entity, all sorts of things just make a lot more sense,” he explained. “It's a lot easier to get things done and we have more resources to spend on our fans and our customers, and the quality of our beer.”
The relationship between the two breweries began when Steam Whistle CEO Greg Taylor reached out to Beauchesne for advice on how to operate during a pandemic. Beau's was among the businesses significantly impacted by the pandemic since about half of its sales dried up at one point due to restaurant closures and lockdowns.
“The original conversation was really just about how do you survive and get through these difficult times, and what we realized is the way to do it is to work together,” says Beauchesne.
Meanwhile, Beauchesne says Beau's will be staying in Vankleek Hill but plans on further expanding.
“We're also looking at opening a new facility in the Ottawa region, so you'll actually get more Beau's than you do now,” Beauchesne says.
Beauchesne will also continue in his role moving forward to ensure the brewery's legacy is protected in the future.
Listen to the full conversation with Steve Beauchesne below:
