FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: kelsey@jgpr.net

City of Rochester Grants $45,000 JOB Loan to Back Hill Brewery

ROCHESTER — Mayor Caroline McCarley and City Manager Blaine Cox are pleased to announce that the City of Rochester has awarded a $45,000 JOB Loan to support the launch of a local brewery.

Back Hill Beer Company is tentatively planning to open its doors in the Gonic Mill at 73 Pickering Road in January 2020. The brewery expects to bring several new jobs to the neighborhood and welcome customers from throughout the region.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Back Hill Beer Company to Rochester,” said City Economic Development Specialist Jenn Marsh. “This is an exciting step forward for our city’s economic development and will further enhance the opportunities available in Rochester for people to live, work and play.”

Back Hill Beer Company will offer a variety of beer on tap, but will focus on hop forward styles of beer. The brewery will also highlight the building’s unique industrial features while fostering a warm, inviting space for patrons. In addition to beer, a small menu of snacks will be offered.

The City officially presented the loan to Back Hill Brewery Company Owner Peter LaPlante on Tuesday, Oct. 1. LaPlante expects to add 6-8 jobs within the next two years.

“Rochester is a great city,” LaPlante said. “It is in a part of the state that my wife and I are drawn to: close to the ocean and the mountains. Everyone we have met in the city has been great, and you can tell that there is a ton of potential and the city is on the rise. On top of that, the makeup of the city is a great fit for a brewery of our size.”

The JOB Loan program, a low-interest loan incentive that allows businesses to borrow between $10,000-$75,000, supports local businesses located, expanding or relocating to the City of Rochester, including East Rochester and Gonic. The loan program is designed to support businesses that will create or retain permanent jobs in the area, with at least 51% of those new employment opportunities to be filled by low and moderate income persons in the city. The program is made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. For more information, click here. 

For more information about Back Hill Beer Company, visit www.backhillbeer.com. The latest updates will also be posted to the business’s Instagram account, @backhillbeer.

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