Kombucha brewer plans 100 jobs in Wilmington – Business North Carolina

FedUp Foods, which brews kombucha and prebiotic sodas, plans to take over a shuttered TRU Colors brewery in Wilmington later this year.

A company spokeswoman says it expects to add around 102 jobs in Wilmington by the end of 2027.

The company declined to say what the square footage would be, but provided the following: “We like to think about expansion as it relates to capacity vs. square footage. We will be adding  our proprietary brewing and processing for cold brew coffee, kombucha, fermented pre and probiotic sodas as well as the capability to reach into the shelf-stable aisles of the store. The Wilmington brewery will allow us to add north of 200,000 barrels per year.”

The Asheville company already has locations in Marshall, North Carolina, and Erwin, Tennessee. It was founded in 2008 by Jeannine Buscher and Sarah Mullins, who started out by brewing kombucha in 5-gallon jugs at home, and also has a private label operation.

The location was picked because of its proximity to the port and train lines, according to a statement from the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.

“As we extend our roots into Wilmington, North Carolina, our aim is to offer job advancement and opportunities for the local workforce, contributing to the economic well-being of the area, as we have successfully done in the Asheville area over the past 15 years,” said Mullins in a statement.