By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Michigan is among the elite when it comes to producing quality craft beer.
Within the state, reside more than 200 breweries producing more than 25 million gallons of beer per year. But before the golden, hoppy fluid foams atop a glass, it must be brewed and that’s where Craftwerk Brewing Systems step in.
Craftwerk began in 2009 producing high-quality stainless steel brewing tanks and complete brewing systems. It runs alongside its sister company, Complete Automation, which an offshoot of The Complete Companies on Clarkston Road.
Complete Automation dealt with aspects of moving liquids that allowed for a simple transition to brewing systems. Their infrastructure was already in place from an automative aspect as they designing plumbing systems for automotive paints so that they could supply the paint for assembly line robots.
‘Something we’ve been doing for over 30 years was handling liquids, temperature controls, and pumping it from point A to point B.,? Complete Companies President Ken Mathies said. ‘But instead of automotive paint, it’s beer, that’s why it was so easy for us to get into the business.?
Located at 2910 Indianwood, Craftwerk is tucked back from the road and inside a 35,000 square-foot facility where all steps of fabrication take place. Large rolls of stainless steel are brought in several times a day from Detroit steel supplier Alro. Once hoisted off the truck, Craftwerk’s team of 85 employees work to form, shape, weld, and polish the tanks while others handle the plumbing.
‘We do more fermentation tanks than anything as breweries increase their capacity they need bigger tanks,? Mathies said. ‘We do all the controls here and we have our own programmers, fabrication people, designers, and process plumbers.?
A fermentation tank can range in size from six feet all the way to most commercial ceilings. A 20-barrel tank, which stands at 12 feet and capable of holding 620 gallons of beer, will cost a customer upwards of $40,000. Although expensive, it’s nothing compared to the cost of an entire system of its size; exhausting the wallet at $400,000. That system is being ready to ship to Baderbrau Brewing Company in Chicago and they have tanks as far as Alaska, Germany, and are speaking with clients in India.
Beyond the price, Mathies affirms the quality that’s put in is just as important as the system’s ability to brew beer. Most, if not all, breweries are proud of their tanks and want them to be on display for their customers. The welders take their time lining up each weld while polishers smooth out any imperfections.
‘In the brewing business, it’s got to be about aesthetics. Of course the quality has to be there on the inside of the tank as well, but if you look at it, you want to see a beautiful tank,? Mathies said.
Members of Craftwerk and Complete Automation were recently contracted to do two large installations for Corona and Dogfish Head Brewing Company. Employees flew to Corona’s manufacturing facility in Mexico for a $5 million piping project where they routed and connected conveyer lines to move the beer to the bottling line.
Dogfish Head contracted Craftwerk to install an entire 200 barrel brewing system that came over in pieces from a manufacturer in Germany.
According to Mathies, Craftwerk is one of only three companies producing brewing systems that are completely manufactured in the United Stated. They’re currently fabricating five fermenting tanks a week and their products can be seen locally at Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids, Griffin Claw Brewery in Birmingham, and 51 North in Lake Orion.
Both Craftwerk and Complete Automation look to expand their business in the next two years to get more involved in the food and beverage industry citing it’s more stable business outlook.
‘People have to eat and according to the Brewers Association, beer is not going away any time soon. In 2004 there were 1,468 breweries in the United States and in just ten years that numbers jumped to just below 3500 ? the most since 1876.