Valley beer industry worth about $110 million

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning Valley’s beer industry is roughly a $110 million business.

In the Valley – the area defined as the 5th, 58th, 59th, 63rd and 64th Ohio House districts – the brewing, wholesale and retail of beer has about 1,720 jobs generating more than $48 million in wages, according to a new economic study jointly released earlier this week by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

“It can be said that beer truly serves America. Beer is more than our nation’s favorite adult drink – it is a powerhouse in job creation, commercial activity and tax revenue,” Jim McGreevy, president and chief executive officer of the Beer Institute, said in a statement.

In Ohio, the beer trade’s direct economic impact is more than $4.5 billion with 41,728 employed and $1.3 billion generated.

In the U.S., the industry has a total direct impact of $108 billion with 986,239 employed and wages at more than $34 billion.

“As independent businesses, America’s licensed beer distributors are proud to provide more than 130,000 direct jobs with solid wages and great benefits to employees at more than 3,300 facilities, located in every state and congressional district across the country,” Craig Purser, NBWA president and CEO, said in a statement. “These independent beer distributors provide significant economic benefits in their communities through local business-to-business commerce, investments in local infrastructure and capital assets and tax revenue.”