San Diego-based Sapporo-Stone Brewing has unveiled the near completion of phase one of its expansion project at its Escondido brewery, two years following the announcement of its acquisition by Sapporo U.S.A.,

The $20 million investment in the Escondido, CA facility is one of two significant investments for growth with $40 million invested in the company’s Richmond, VA operation.

These investments, the company said. will result in the doubling of the company’s capacity to about 700,000 barrels a year across its bi-coastal breweries. The brewing of Sapporo beers in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA is now underway.

Stone Brewing, Southern California’s largest craft brewery was acquired by Sapporo U.S.A. in 2022. The goal was to transition from an importer to a U.S. brewer, ultimately brewing, selling, and marketing all of Sapporo’s beers for the U.S. market locally. Richmond’s expansion will be unveiled this fall.

By late summer, all production of Sapporo beers will have moved from Canada and Asia to the U.S. Sapporo-Stone Brewing is now a combined team of nearly 850 employees, about 600 of whom are based in San Diego County.

In support of its expansion project, the company added 125 jobs locally and another 75 outside of San Diego County. More than 150 team members have been promoted or moved into new or expanded roles since the acquisition.

“Operationally, this acquisition looks a lot like a merger,” stated Zach Keeling, Sapporo-Stone Brewing Interim CEO. “Our two companies are now fully integrated – Innovating, brewing, selling, marketing, and operating as a single, combined business. The Sapporo and Stone Brewing brands will maintain their individual identities, but we are Sapporo-Stone in name, operations, and culture.”