Canned cocktail maker looking at Montrose for distribution hub
A California distiller and brewer is considering Montrose for a new canning and distribution hub, something that economic development officials said could help employ workers left behind when Russell Stover Chocolates closed its plant there in summer 2020.
The Colorado Economic Development Commission awarded the unnamed company, known as Project Chapter, $292,763 in Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits conditioned on it providing 40 net new jobs paying an average annual wage of $53,076, which is 128% of the average annual wage in Montrose County. Reno, Nev., is also under consideration.
About half of the jobs would involve production work, while the remainder would be in sales and delivery. The distiller also plans to add several additional retail jobs to staff a tasting room and restaurant, but the state did not incentivize those lower-paying positions.
The company, which has 26 employees, makes canned cocktails, which are growing in popularity, as well as canned beer and distilled spirits.
Commissioner Wendell Pryor noted that the state has no dearth of brewers and distillers and questioned why another one should be incentivized, but voted along with the other commissioners to approve the project.
Sandy Head, executive director of the Montrose Economic Development
Corp., said the company would be an excellent addition to the city’s Colorado Outdoors industrial park and provide jobs needed to replace some of the 289 positions lost when Russell Stover closed its plant.
“We have been taking names and have 90 individuals who are anxious to get back into food production,” she said.
Elsmere Education, a Denverbased education technology company that received $1.7 million in state tax credits under the name
Project Norman in September, has chosen Denver over Houston for 138 new jobs paying an average annual wage of $84,490, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade announced.
COEDIT staffers also are working on a plan to allocate $95 million in federal funds under the State Small Business Credit Initiative, which is designed to help with economic recovery efforts with a special focus on disadvan