Brewery and beverage equipment maker
TechniBlend plans to move its operations from New Berlin to the town of Brookfield this summer to accommodate its continuing growth.
The company bought a 93,000-square-foot facility at 21800 Doral Court in October of last year for $3.4 million. Derek Deubel, president of TechniBlend, said the company is working with MSI General to convert about 71,000 square feet for its needs while leasing the remaining space to an existing tenant.
TechniBlend and its subsidiary Pro Brew currently has around 25,000 square feet at its New Berlin facilities. The companies have around 50 employees. Employment has doubled in the last four years, a feat Deubel hopes to replicate going forward.
Founded in 2008, TechniBlend started by supplying large beverage makers like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors with automated beverage systems. The company has benefited as large beverage makers have had to produce a wider variety of flavors. More flavors means more changing of production lines, which requires equipment designed to effectively handle those shifts.
The company launched its Pro Brew brand about five years ago in response to a growing number of inquires from the craft beer market. The idea, Deubel said, was to offer equipment at the right size and the right price for the craft market.
“That’s been a big substantial part of the growth,” Deubel said of the craft market.
Pro Brew and TechniBlend went from serving just a handful of customers to an addressable market with thousands of new entrants who were looking to develop more professionalized operations.
“We had to kind of change our approach to selling, we have sales guys around the country now, but it was good, it was a big diversification for us,” Deubel said.
While the craft market was primarily made up of breweries a few years ago, it has quickly grown to include coffee, kombucha and other beverages, including those infused with CBD and THC.
At the same time, the large beverage companies have also continued to pursue innovative new drinks and so the TechniBlend business benefits from the lessons Pro Brew learns helping smaller companies.
“It’s very symbiotic,” Deubel said.
