Larry Bell Profiled In Forbes Magazine

Another indicator of how big the beer industry is in Michigan, and more to the point, how big a deal Bell's is, Larry Bell was featured in a Forbes Magazine story last week.

“I started homebrewing when I was working in a bakery,” said Bell. “I worked with a guy there who invited me over for a homebrew. It foamed over and wasn’t very good. I thought, ‘I’m a better baker than him, so I bet I could do this better too.’ I wound up moving in with three other guys, and we got a kettle and a bad homebrewing book and got started.” - Forbes profile of Bell's Brewery and Larry Bell

Forbes contributor Jim Vinoski opens the feature sharing how he and Bell both were early home brewers, and how sticking with it for Bell really paid off both for himself, and for beer lovers who were tired of the humdrum domestic beer selection.

Vinoski quotes all of Bell's success statistics; how it's grown to be the number six craft brewer in the country and 16th in the world, along with all that comes with that success.

Some of the information I'd already heard or read, but I didn't know Bell had come as close to going belly up as sitting in a bankruptcy attorney's office. (He didn't file)

Bell goes into some of the financials at play in the craft beer business, as Forbes is a business publication. But still, it's a peek behind the curtain, and for this beer lover, it really is fascinating.