Kevin Selch sits in the front office of Little Brown Jug Brewing Company’s (LBJ) new warehouse with his Borzoi puppy, Klara. Kevin, the President and Founder of LBJ, is awaiting the arrival of council and staff from the R.M. of Rosser and CentrePort Canada. They’re coming by to tour the space and discuss his experience as a new tenant at Steele Business Park in CentrePort Canada.
It’s a moment of calm in an otherwise whirlwind year.
Kevin recently completed his one-year tenure as Board Chair of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. While he was Chair, LBJ expanded its location for the first time: they began leasing the warehouse in Steele Business Park in November of 2024 and moved in this Spring. It was also a year heavily impacted by tariffs, supply chain issues, and interprovincial trade barriers.
“Given my background in economics, it’s been kind of a germane year to be Chair,” says Kevin. Before LBJ opened in 2016, Kevin spent a decade in Ottawa as an Economist and Senior Policy Advisor for the Federal Government.
That expertise helped Kevin draft a business plan that has since grown LBJ into one of Manitoba’s most successful craft breweries. His experience also proved invaluable during his Chamber tenure, where he advocated for small businesses navigating economic challenges. Today, Kevin is focused on leading his team of 30+ employees (plus seasonal staff) who work in LBJ’s Exchange District taproom in Winnipeg, the warehouse in Rosser, and most recently, the newly opened LBJ taproom space at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport.
Ten Years of 1919
LBJ will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026. Since the craft brewery first opened, operations have expanded from just two tanks and one beer offering – the 1919 Belgian Pale Ale – to 16 tanks, a canning line, a centrifuge, and a variety of beer, cider, and sparkling water for sale at the brewery and in liquor stores and beer vendors in Manitoba and parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. You can find LBJ in the Craft Beer Corner at the Canada Life Centre and at local festivals; LBJ is the exclusive beer supplier for the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Pride Winnipeg, Winnipeg Jazz Festival, and the Great Outdoor Comedy Festival in Winnipeg.
Until this year, the brewery relied on other warehouses and distribution to store boxes, grain, beer, and empty cans. But operations had become cumbersome.
“We had grown to a point where we needed to bring that expense in-house and have better control over our logistics,” said Kevin.
This past spring, Kevin’s team moved into their warehouse at Steele Business Park, MMI Asset Management’s state-of-the-art multi-tenant industrial development. For Kevin, one of the biggest perks of the new space is its 28-foot-high ceilings.
“You could lease for less at an older building, but you’re not going to get the ceiling height,” says Kevin. “If you’re able to use the elevation, it’s actually cheaper.”
Empty beer cans are stacked to the ceiling: that’s 48 tallboys high. The space also accommodates bulk grain deliveries, which helps bring down shipping costs, and features a cold storage that Kevin sometimes refers to as “the largest beer fridge in Manitoba.” It fits up to 200 pallets of beer, extending LBJ’s shelf life.
LBJ beer is unpasteurized. At room temperature, it lasts six months, but proper refrigeration extends its shelf life to over a year. Cold storage allows LBJ to supply distributors with enough beer to fill orders and keep a reserve chilled to smooth out production. Kevin says this is especially helpful in the spring and summer “when we literally can’t produce enough beer.”
The other draw was the location. Steele Business Park is located in CentrePort North in the R.M. of Rosser, which means no business taxes, and it’s only a 20- to 30-minute drive from LBJ’s downtown location. Plus, its direct access to major highways, including the Perimeter Highway, allows the LBJ team to easily deliver kegs and cans across the city.
Kevin says that CentrePort is also well-situated to one day distribute beer across the country and help grow LBJ’s customer base. With ongoing provincial discussions about reducing trade barriers, Kevin is hopeful that he can afford to sell his beer in Ontario someday.
For now, the new warehouse is helping LBJ manage inventory and production more efficiently.
“This warehouse was really our growth project for the year,” says Kevin. “This facility is an integral part of our organization and has set us up for the future.”
With the new warehouse in place, LBJ is ready for its next decade of growth.
