How Shipyard Brewing are expanding in a crowded market

Written by Megan Santosus and produced by Michael Magno.


In the early '90s when Fred Forsley was working as a real estate broker, he tried to entice a Portland brewer to locate to Federal Jack's, a restaurant in Kennebunk, Maine. At that time, Alan Pugsley, who had apprenticed with a master brewer in his native England, was working in the United States to establish the nascent craft brewing industry.

The two met during discussions, and although the original deal didn't pan out, Forsley and Pugsley decided to launch a brewing venture together. Shipyard first began as Kennebunkport Brewign Company which opened in 1992 at Federal Jack's. In 1994, the two set up a 2,500 square-foot brewery in downtown Portland on the site of a former foundry and Shipyard Brewing Company began.

Since those early days, Shipyard has grown consistently and is now Maine's largest brewery. The company's English-style ales, which obtain a unique flavor because they are fermented in open-top vessels, are available in more than 35 states. The brewery has about 50 employees who produce 13 varieties of ales and seven flavors of soda under the Capt'n Eli's brand name. Another 300 people work at seven affiliated brew pubs (all of which naturally feature Shipyard's family of ales), all located throughout Maine.

In 2006, the brewery shipped more than 960,000 barrels of its ales or nearly 70,000 barrels, representing a growth rate of nearly 25 percent over the previous year. There are about 1,400 U.S.-based craft brewers according to The Brewers Association trade group, so Shipyard is expanding well in a crowded market.

How has the company done it? Co-owner and president Forsley first and foremost attributes Shipyard's success to its quality products. As a brewer of English-style ales, Shipyard from the outset has planted its stake in a niche area of the market since most brewers adhere to closed-top fermentation techniques