It hasn't always been this easy for one of Michigan's original beer crafter, who started his business more than three decades ago that has grown into a powerhouse brand and expanded distribution into most of the U.S. Science, art, politics and agriculture are all a part of the business, he said. Bell intended to keep a majority stake in his brewery, but by the time the 1990s rolled around, he was controlling only 40 percent.

In January, Gilbertson said he sold his last share.

"I continue as I have always been since day one, president of Bell's," he said. He said it would be difficult to do now what Bell did with the market in the 1980s and 1990s, where he ranks with craft brewers from the era such as Anchor Steam and Sierra Nevada. And homebrewers continue to be the minor leagues of the beer industry. The Brewers Association’s Watson says Bell’s today is on solid ground, with a broad portfolio of beers and a loyal customer base. Gloria and David Badiner, of Mattawan, who had been shareholders for more than 20 years, sold their portion a "couple months ago," Gloria Badiner said. He had a dream. “I thought people would exit the company,” he said. How can you not love Craft Beer Week?Any beer lover worth his salt is completely absorbed into this week like the proverbial white on rice. When you first started the brewery, did you have an exit strategy? m_gallery_permalink = "https://www.mlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/07/73d22a1c119006/index.html"; He’s like, "This is where the beer kettles are going to be, this is where the fermeters are going to be. Laura Bell, 26, is the marketing director for Bell’s Brewery, while David, 24, lives in Washington, D.C., and helps on Bell’s-related events in that market, but has no formal title, outside of being a shareholder. In Michigan in the summertime "Oberon is rocking it," he said, and Amber Ale, which helped build the business, continues to be the third most popular beer. Transportation Department. Later this month, Bell's will offer public tours of its new 200-barrel brewhouse at the Comstock facility, a major portion of a $52 million expansion project announced in 2010 during the company's 25th anniversary. 1986. I have good feelings for him and I wish him luck and I’d like to see his daughter take over the company," he said. Bell's Brewery produces more beer sold in Michigan than any other Michigan brewer. Growing up, Laura Bell, who will turn 27 in July, said she remembered spending Saturday afternoons at the brewery and also picking hops with her dad and brother at farms around Southwest Michigan. Bell's is striving to stay at the top, and he believes the keys are quality and innovation, he said, some things his business and the industry as a whole in Michigan, are known for.

"We're not the new shiny toy in the box, which there are thousands of right now, but then on the other side of the equation, you've got the big breweries who have bought up crafts, who are trying to muscle us off the shelves," he said. Statewide insights. Lawsuits ensued.

Great Lakes Amber Ale (now known as Amber Ale) 1985.
LB //That point was when we got to 30,000 barrels.

He has houses in Michigan and one in Chicago. Bell, 58, realizes he’s changed as Bell’s has boomed. Today, Bell is a bona fide beer baron. “He was very creative, very smart,” she says. He eventually set up home-brewing supply company in a space at the bakery.
It was mentioned this morning in a meeting that there are professional brewers, commercially licensed brewers, in this town who come into the shop to buy things for their professional brewery.

The main source of income: Celebrities All rights reserved (About Us). Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/20). As one of the pioneers of the craft-beer industry, Larry Bell has seen it all. Year. 1985. Beer Is Still The Undisputed Champ Of Alcoholic Beverages, U.S. I remember Fritz Maytag [Anchor Brewing] being interviewed by Michael Jackson and Fritz saying, “You know, Michael, there’s one guy who’s got 50 percent of the business, and he wants 100 percent of the business,” and that hasn’t changed.

How Much money Larry Bell has? The brewery also has an entertainment business, with a beer garden and indoor concert venue that has made a name in Kalamazoo as a mainstay for artists in a variety of genres, from bluegrass to rap. I think he was more invested in making the brewery successful.”. m_gallery_type = "photo"; Gallery: Bell's Brewery continues to innovate in 35th year of business. Rinsed, filled, labeled, distributed,” he says.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. He had a six pack of Quinannan Falls, a Bell's dry-hopped lager, in the fridge. "The revolution started because we didn't want to have beers made with corn and rice and we stick to our guns on that. John Holl Mar 30, 2018 - 10 min read As one of the pioneers of the craft-beer industry, Larry Bell has seen it all. Laura Bell has also been living with her father for the last nine months while she shops for her own house in Kalamazoo. While Larry Bell said his health is fine, he joked that if he were killed in a zombie attack, the company would have to be sold. ", John Liberty can be reached at 269-370-7372 or jlibert1@mlive.com. “I had stayed away from it (the brewery) a little bit, but I thought it’s the family’s company and I owe it to myself to try it out,” she said.

I wrote a plan for the Traverse Bay Brewing Co.

Hand-sanitized.

I love it. Bell's Eccentric Cafe is located at 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. A sample platter of beer at Bell's Eccentric Cafe. Larry Bell's daughter, Laura Bell, served as CEO for more than a year until she stepped down in May. Terry Gilbertson, who moved from Kalamazoo to Minnesota in 1999, was the former chairman of the board at Bell’s in the early ’80s, he said. I was risking losing our little tiny home and our little car.”. Employees didn’t give her a pass.

He’s grooming his daughter to take over as CEO. LB // One of the things that I probably did wrong was setting up stock in the company. “I found the employees were passionate and engaged and awesome. $18 Million. I never really thought about it. He moved from the bakery into “a desolate warehouse. “I get to own a brewery. Bell’s journey began in late 1970s when he got a job at a bakery in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he learned about yeast and began brewing beer as a hobby. Posted-In: Bart WatsonEntrepreneurship Restaurants Top Stories Success Stories Exclusives Interview General Best of Benzinga, Thank you for subscribing! He began with a $200 stake -- a birthday gift from his mother -- and incorporated for $35.