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Genesee Brewery to undergo $50M renovation project. How many new jobs could it create?

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6 months ago

May 6, 2024

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Genesee Brewery to undergo M renovation project. How many new jobs could it create?

A $50 million renovation project for the Genesee Brewery could mean up to 57 new jobs over two years in addition to retaining more than 500 workers in the brewery’s Rochester home base.

This also means Canadian favorites Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light beers will be produced and shipped from the site, making it the first in the country to produce these lines, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who on Monday also announced a $7 million grant to assist Genesee’s parent company, FIFCO USA, with the project.

Work to develop a plan to continue modernizing the Genesee Brewery while building capacity to accommodate more volume began last year, said FIFCO USA CEO Piotr Jurjewicz in a prepared statement. The state funding helped to cement the decision to invest $50 million to modernize and expand here, Jurjewicz further stated.

This project will increase the Rochester brewery’s capacity with the installation of new tanks and upgrade of equipment and follows a $50 million investment in 2018. The company opened the popular Genesee Brew House in 2012.

Rochester will supplement the Canadian production and shipment of the Labatt lines of beer.

“Demand for Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light beer has outpaced our supply from Canada,” Jurjewicz said in a statement.

Over the last 15 years, the Genesee Brewery has seen $215 million in modernization and upgrades. The recent project is the second phase of a company plan to modernize the brewery and position it for long-term growth in a competitive industry, company officials noted.

Established in 1878, the Genesee Brewery is New York state’s oldest brewery and one of the oldest continually operating breweries in the United States.

“The Genesee Brewery has been a trusted employer in the Rochester community for well over a century, and this transformative investment will help to keep them in New York state for generations to come,” Hochul stated.