Valley Wide Beverage brews up business
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- If you grab a Heineken or Coors Light, chances are it's been distributed from right here in Fresno.
Beer is always on the move inside Valley Wide Beverage in Southwest Fresno.
"We're in the center of the state of California. I thought this was the perfect distribution center," said Lou Amendola, Valley Wide Beverage Chairman & CEO.
After owning a few Northern California distributors, Amendola decided to buy in Fresno in the 1980s. That decision has now brewed into this newly built 225,000-foot warehouse with a special refrigerated section.
"This exceeds all my expectations," Amendola said looking around the new warehouse.
WATCH: SkyView 30 drone gives us a look at the new home of Valley Wide Beverage
Inside there is new technology to help wrap beverages, and on the outside solar fills the roof. The new facility is located in the middle of Fresno's emerging e-commerce neighborhood.
"We're just a little local company next to these two giants Ulta and Amazon," Amendola said.
Valley Wide Beverage is the only local company that's distributing beer and other drinks across Central California.
Valley Wide carries a whole lot of beverages. In fact more than 400 brands including local companies you might know like 'House of Pendragon' out of Sanger and 'Riley's Brewing' out of Madera."
The inside of the warehouse is stacked with well-known brands from Coors, to Modelo Especial. Even Zima is ready to head out to local stores.
"We receive the beer. We receive about 25 to 35 truckloads a day and we ship out about 50-60 truckloads a day," Amendola explained about the operations inside.
Those cases go to grocery stores and Walmarts from Turlock to the Kern County line.
The prior Valley Wide building is now being sold to the Food Bank and will help house food and serve more people.
As for Amendola, he said the beer culture has grown.
"Beer has become more relevant through tastings and other things that business is very good."
A brewing business that's grown in the Valley.
