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Genesee Brewery to Undergo $50M Facelift

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A major revitalization project for the storied Genesee Brewery in the City of Rochester was unveiled by the state on Monday.

The 146-year-old facility will undergo a $50 million renovation to transform the building into a world-class packaging facility, increasing the building’s manufacturing capacity and allowing for greater efficiency at the site. The company is planning to create up to 57 new jobs at the facility over the next two years in addition to retaining more than 500 workers in Rochester and will use the facility to supplement the Canadian production and shipment of its renowned Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light lines of beer – making this the first facility to produce these lines in the United States. New York State has offered a $7 million capital grant to Genesee’s parent company, FIFCO USA, to assist with the modernization upgrades.

“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,” Governor Hochul said. “New York is experiencing a manufacturing renaissance, with millions of dollars in investment and countless, good-paying jobs coming to our state, and my administration is committed to helping businesses like the Genesee Brewery expand their presence in New York and help move our economy forward.”

This project will increase the brewery’s capacity with the installation of new tanks and equipment, following a $50 million Phase One investment in the Rochester facility in 2018. The company opened the Genesee Brew House in 2012, which features an on-site museum, restaurant, and pilot brewery that last year attracted more than 400,000 people to the location along the Genesee River in Downtown Rochester.

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 Brewery makes the classic line of Genesee beers, as well as the popular Seagram’s Escapes line, Lipton Hard Iced Tea, and several brands for large alcoholic beverage companies across the country.

New York ranks among the top five states for the number of breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries. Its roster of craft beverage manufacturers includes more than 450 wineries, 500 breweries, 200 distilleries and 100 cideries and meaderies. Overall, New York is home to 527 craft and 11 large breweries and the total economic impact of the state’s beer industry has been placed at $5.4 billion.

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