Press Release

Cleveland, OH Platform, the fastest growing regional brewery in the United States in 2017, operates in Ohio’s three largest metropolitan cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus. According to Anheuser-Busch, the partnership will “continue Anheuser-Busch’s long track record of working with their craft partners to make the U.S. beer category stronger and more vibrant.” The acquisition price was not disclosed.

Founded with a home-brew inspiration, Platform began as a brewery incubator in 2014, devoted to outreach and education for aspiring professional brewers. In just five years, owners Benner and Carson were able to create a uniquely innovative brand and following, focusing on deep growth in their own backyard – a rising theme among successful craft breweries.
Platform is known throughout Ohio for its vast beverage portfolio of award-winning products and fun taproom customer experience. Platform offers innovative and trending products including Hazy IPAs, Unique Seasonals, Sours, Ciders and Fruit Ales, Barrel-Aged Beers, and a line of canned and on-tap Hard Seltzer.

“We are excited to invest even more into our local economy through capital improvements and job creation… We will be able to provide our staff with resources like robust healthcare benefits including parental leave, 401K and growth opportunities that we currently don’t have and will make Platform an even better place to work and grow,” commented Carson.
The partnership allows the Company to continue operating independently as the Platform brand. Brewers Collective president Marcelo “Mika” Michaelis looks “forward to supporting their growth plans as they continue to push boundaries through their intrinsic craft values of education, connection and collaboration.” In fact, Anheuser-Busch has invested more than $130 million in its craft breweries following acquisition, allowing those companies to hire more employees, open new facilities and expand production volume.

“Any time a thriving Cleveland business is recognized by the largest player in the industry, it is a compliment to the founding entrepreneurs but also a great signal for the economic development of the community. This partnership should have a significantly positive impact not only for Platform, but for Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio region,” said CM&Co. Managing Director, Chris McKenna.