This is the story of a special brewery and of 15 Master Brewers, who, with tenacity and dedication have made their dream come true: a rebirth that seemed almost impossible.
This is the story of those who have kept on believing in themselves, in their colleagues and in their land, creating a genuine and honest beer that mirrors the soul of those who have made it.
This is the story of an authentic tradition that is now finally property of those who have founded it and have carried it out with pride for all their life.
This is the story of a target reached with effort and sacrifice, thanks to those who always look at the future defending their past with courage.
15 HEROES TO SUCCEED IN AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE
A GROWING FAMILY
The triumph of 15 heroes
2013.08.09
CLOSING DOWN OF THE HISTORICAL BREWERY
The historical factory in the city of Messina was closed down after a clumsy attempt of real estate investing and 15 ex employees joined their forces to give life to the cooperative “Birrificio Messina” with the aim of restarting a new production of beer.
2014.09.02
SETTING UP THE COOPERATIVE
Birrificio Messina had a fruitful meeting with the non-profit organization “Fondazione di Comunità di Messina” which, making available its resources, facilities and professionalism, supported the cooperative with an initial fundraising. Moreover, they contributed in creating a communication campaign in the territory, in drafting out an industrial plan and in building the network of financial partners belonging both to the profit and the non-profit sector
2015.10.20
THE FUNDING PROCESS
The complex funding process took life and, apart from an active participation of the whole local community and of organized civil movements, it led to the creation of a varied team of financial partners and investors, belonging both to the non-profit sector and to the traditional market of credit, that allowed collecting the amount of money consisting in about 5,5 billion euros that was necessary for the initial investments
2016.06.20
SETTING UP THE INDUSTRIAL PLANT
With the arrival of the first lorries, about a year after the first supply contracts, works to set up the industrial plant were given a start. In this emotional moment awareness of what had been done and of what could eventually be was finally gained, never forgetting the great efforts made over the last years.
2016.07.29
OPENING OF THE ACTIVITY
While the industrial plants were still in the process of being set up, activities were finally started. During a hot afternoon in July a crowd of people gathered with enthusiasm for the celebrations, willing to be present at an event that will mark history: the revenge of the 15 members of the cooperative and their triumphal return in the job market, not any more as workers but as businessmen
2019.06.04
EXTENSION THE PRODUCTION PLANT
The cooperative, now in great expansion, started extending the production plant, which would eventually lead to almost doubling the initial production capacity, going from about 50.000 hl/year to about 95.000 hl/year.
2019.24.06
SUPPORT TO PRODUCTION PROCESSES
Thanks to the great social impact on the local area, both in terms of socio-economic impact and in terms of attention to the territory, the cooperative attracted the attention of Sefea Impact SGR s.p.a., a saving management company setting up and managing closed Alternative Investment Funds (AIF). The aims that Birrificio Messina and the company share – such as the possibility to spread impact finance, the ability to generate positive changes in the community’s welfare, environmental sustainability etc – made it possible for Sefea Impact SGR s.p.a. to invest in the cooperative in order to support its development processes
2020.06.25
GREEN SHIFT
Birrificio Messina decided to build on the roofs of its warehouses a photovoltaic plant with a production capacity of about 99,99 kw/hour in order to reduce electricity consumptions and at the same time to contribute cutting emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, making a significant green turn and confirming its attention to the environment and the territory.
2020.07.24
WAREHOUSES OFFICIALLY OWNED
One year earlier in comparison to the deadlines included in the contract, Birrificio Messina, with effort and pride of the partners, officially owns the two warehouses through a financial operation that was possible thanks to experts of the non profit organization Fondazione di Comunità di Messina
2020.06.25
DOUBLED WORKING STAFF
Birrificio Messina hired 11 new and young workers, all sons and daughters of the founding partners, thus leading the total number of the staff to 26 people. The arrival of these new forces with their effort allowed an increase in the production and guaranteed that the objective of generational change foreseen since the setting up of the cooperative was reached.
