Elected leaders tour Wilmington breweries, listen to industry concerns

Updated: Aug. 22, 2019 at 11:24 PM EDT
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WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Local and state elected leaders toured two of Wilmington’s newest breweries Thursday afternoon to learn about their contributions to the local economy and have open dialogue with brewery owners about their successes as well as their struggles.

Mayor Bill Saffo said he didn’t realize the extent to which some breweries manufacture.

“This is the 21st century manufacturing industry in our community,” Mayor Saffo said. “These folks are manufacturing this product here in New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington to the point where they’re putting the cans together. It is a manufacturing process and they’re distributing some of the stuff around the region around the country. I did not know that.”

The group began at Edward Teach Brewery where various brewery owners, managers and the president of the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance addressed the group.

“It’s easy to support ‘big beer’ when big beer is trying to put their thumb on us and hold us down, when big beer is sponsoring major events and keeping the little guys out of being a part of those local events, that is a difficult thing for us to deal with. So that is one of the issues that we are working on as an alliance. It’s great for these community leaders to have an interest in our industry and want to talk to us about that so as we continue to grow and have a voice as an industry we are really glad to see our local elected officials understand and know that,” Ellie Craig of Front Street Brewery said.

Both North Carolina Representative Ted Davis Jr. and Senator Harper Peterson were among the state leaders who attended.

“I’m just totally amazed. I knew that breweries were a business but I had no idea of the capital investment nor did I realize how many people they employ,” Davis said.

“It’s a great industry, not only the product they provide, but the number of people they employ. What they mean to our economy- they represent our culture here at the coast so it’s been enlightening,” Senator Peterson said.

According to the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance, the industry employs over 400 people, which makes it a top 25 employer in New Hanover County.

Wrightsville Beach Brewery owner Judd Watkins wants to see better communication between regulatory agencies at the local, state and federal level.

“We are in the south, and there are some incredibly antiquated alcohol laws that are -some of them - 80-90 years old and we have been way too slow to change those and unfortunately for the citizens of North Carolina and Wilmington, sometimes that means that we are behind the curve on a great growth industry like craft beer,” Watkins said.

“Some of the frustration has to do with ABC laws that are 50 years old. I think there’s got to be more discussion with the ABC commission, with the ABC board, to see what we can do to possibly change those. Obviously, this involves legislative action but also what we can do at the city level and county level to help them,” Mayor Bill Saffo said.

“There’s always regulatory red tape that you have to go through. I know we in the legislature have done things that have helped regulate other business and it might need to be something we look at with this business,” Representative Davis said.

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