White Claw to sponsor SXSW festival and erect $250m facility in Arizona

16-Jan-2020 - Last updated on 16-Jan-2020 at 08:48 GMT

The new plant will employ more than 200 full-time workers.

Following the summer of hard seltzers in 2019, White Claw’s popularity is expanding in 2020. It announced plans for a new facility to keep up with demand for the drink, and the brand will sponsor one of the biggest American festivals of the year.

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) revealed that Mark Anthony Brewing, parent company to White Claw, will soon erect a $250m facility in Glendale. It will be a state-of-the-art brewery and BrewPure facility dedicated to producing White Claw.

Construction of the plant is being called ‘a race against time’ for the company to ‘meet the explosive demand’ for White Claw drinks. The ACA said the 916,000 square foot facility will open in the next seven months.

Mark Anthony Brewing said it will employ more than 200 full-time workers, in addition to the associated construction jobs. The company became the fourth largest brewer in the US in 2019 and said it expects 2020 sales of approximately $4bn.

John Sacksteder, president of Mark Anthony Brewing, said “The primary reason we selected Glendale was the innovative thinking and personal support of Governor Doug Ducey, the city of Glendale, the [ACA], and their willingness to embrace our vision and commit to the support required for our rapid build-out and aggressive timeline.

“Once complete, this new facility will be a beacon for the advanced manufacturing capabilities of the City of Glendale and the state of Arizona.”

White Claw will also be a Super Sponsor of the South by Southwest (SXSW) music, technology and film festival. It said it has overtaken beer as the leading sponsor within the category. SXSW 2020 will take place March 13-22 in Austin, Texas.

Phil Rosse, president of White Claw Seltzer Works, said "This brand has been built through the great passion and celebration by our fans, connecting the brand to culture and sharing it through their social channels. We are excited to support SXSW, an event that has always been ground zero for innovation in culture and technology."

Roland Swenson, SXSW CEO and co-founder, said "SXSW is excited to work with White Claw. As one of the fastest growing brands, their sponsorship of SXSW reflects the independent and innovative spirit that SXSW is known for."