Beer is $10.2 billion business in Michigan, report says

Thirty taps of beer at Malloy’s Irish Pub in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Monday, April 8, 2019. The pub features over 100 types of whiskey. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Beer is big business in Michigan.

Really big.

A recently released report by the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Beer Institute makes that abundantly clear.

According to the Beer Serves America study, Michigan’s beer industry had an overall economic impact of nearly $10.2 billion in 2018 and supported more than 62,000 jobs at breweries, distributors, retailers and more.

“Michigan’s independent, locally owned beer distributors are proud to work hand-in-glove with the state’s craft brewers and local retailers to help them grow and thrive on a level playing field,” said Spencer Nevins, president of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association.

“This new data makes clear that Michigan is not just the Great Lakes State but also the Great Beer State, and Michigan’s beer distributors are proud to play a role in the beer industry’s continued success.”

According to the report, Michigan beer distributors employ 4,724 people with good benefits. The state’s distributors have a direct impact of more than $830 million on Michigan’s economy.

In addition, beer-related jobs paid more than $2.6 billion in wages in 2018.

“Michigan’s beer distributors have deep roots in their communities and are proud to hire locally to fill jobs that pay well with good benefits,” Nevins said.

“Thanks to Michigan’s beer distributors, our state is a Top 5 beer producer and home to some of the best-known breweries in the country and is poised to keep growing through a system that promotes fairness and a level playing field.”

You can download the entire report, as well as the national report and data for other states, here.

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