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Brewery Ommegang to expand
By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier
MIDDLEFIELD — Brewery Ommegang
is beginning another expansion of its
facility to keep up with demand for its Belgian
beers.
``In a down economy, beer is the place to
be,’’ said company Controller Wendy
Hunt.
The foundation has been dug and the
footings poured for the first phase of the
$1.8 million project — the construction of
an 8,000 square foot warehouse. Currently
Ommegang has to warehouse its products
off-site in New Jersey and California.
Their beers are bottle condition and as
soon as that process is complete, the beer
is trucked to the warehouses out of state,
Hunt said.
The new warehouse will also provide
additional warm cellaring space for the
bottle conditioning and will free up space
for production.
Hunt said that demand has been so
high for Ommegang’s beers that for a time
it was being brewed in Belgium and
shipped to the United States. Recent increases
in production capacity, like the
four new fermenting tanks added last year
mean Ommegang is again brewing all its
beer at its 136-acre farmstead facility on
River Road in the town of Middlefield.
The next phase of the expansion will
see the creation of a new bottling hall,
store, restaurant and office space, Hunt
said.
She said the expansion has been in the
planning stage for more than seven years
and is now becoming a reality.
``All the right things have fallen into
place,’’ she said. ``It’s going to be wonderful.’’
The brewery expects the
expansion will result in five
new jobs in Middlefield and
others off-site in sales positions.
Ommengang is receiving
assistance with the expansion
from the Otsego County
Industrial Development
Agency. The IDA will hold
a public hearing Dec. 2 in
regard to its participation
in the project.
If approved following the
hearing, Ommengang
would be in line for a
$200,000 low interest loan,
according to the IDA’s Administrative
Director Carolyn
Lewis.
The IDA, Lewis said,
would take title to the property
in name only and enter
into a lease back agreement
with Ommegang.
The proposal would also
exempt Ommegang from
real estate transfer taxes
and sale tax relating to the
project.
The brewery would receive
a 15-year tax abatement
on property taxes. In
the first five years, 75 percent
of the taxes from new
assessed value would be
abated. In years six through
ten there would be a 50 percent
abatement and in the
remaining five years, a 25
percent abatement.
Lewis said the current
taxes would not be abated.
Ommegang would agree to
make a payment in lieu of
taxes in the amount of the
current taxes on the existing
facility in addition to a
percentage of any new taxes.
In the first five years, for
instance, the brewery would
pay an amount equal to
current taxes plus 25 percent
of any new taxes from
an increased assessed value.
Lewis said it is possible
the proposal could be approved
the day after the
public hearing.
``They’re ready to go,’’
she said.
The public hearing will
be held in the Otsego County
Meadows Complex at 9
a.m. on Dec. 2. More information
may be obtained
from Lewis at 432-8871.
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