The Genesee Brewing Company marked its 140th year in business by celebrating the grand opening of its new brewery on St. Paul Street.
Officials from North American Breweries and its parent company, FIFCO, welcomed Genesee employees and local and state officials to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the new $48.5 million Brewhouse and Cold Block.
FIFCO CEO Ramon Mendiola says this is a landmark project for the brewery that will secure the future of this business for years to come.
“We needed to upgrade our quality standards, the way we produce our beer, more sustainable with less water, less emissions, and all that is in line with our way of doing business,” he said.
That business model features the company’s triple bottom line, focusing on people, planet and profit as a way of doing business.
He says over the past three years, brewery personnel have been transitioning to a new brewing system and testing recipes with new world-class equipment.
The new CEO of North American Breweries, Adrian Lachowski, addressed employees outside the new facility.
He says after three years of hard work, planning and investment, Genesee is well poised to grow even more.
“Today we can proudly say that we have secured the future of Genesee in Rochester. We’ve created a world-class facility that is second to none, and because of that investment, Genesee is here to stay," he said.
Luchowski says they’ve invested in the best equipment and talent, and as a result, Genesee has potential to grow regionally and nationally.
The Genesee Brewing Company was established in 1878, making it New York’s oldest brewery.
Now, after a $48 million investment, it has some of the newest technology in the brewing business.
Mendiola talks about modern brewing at Genesee, and the investment that FIFCO is making in Rochester:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qlL2KgVL0k">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qlL2KgVL0k