Downtown brewery announces ownership change
Sept. 3, 2024
A downtown brewery is making some ownership changes.
Steve Hartman now will be the sole owner of WoodGrain Brewing Co. His co-founders, Jason Currie-Olson and Ryan Van Tol, are selling their shares to him.
The trio opened WoodGrain at 101 S. Phillips Ave. nine years ago. It was the first larger brewery to open in downtown Sioux Falls since the closure of Sioux Falls Brewing Co. in 2003.
Jason Currie-Olson, Ryan Van Tol and Steve Hartman
The business was founded in 2014 and opened its doors on Labor Day weekend in 2015.
“We saw a need in our community for a fun and inviting place to share a craft beer with friends and family. What we didn’t realize is how many lifelong friends we would meet in the process,” Hartman said in a statement.
“Sioux Falls has welcomed us with open arms, and we’re so grateful.”
In the past nine years, WoodGrain has crafted hundreds of different beers, ranging from light lagers such as Deflation to award-winning IPAs such as Snobbery and barrel-aged stouts such as Cocobolo.
“We have worked really hard and been very proud of the brewery we opened. The atmosphere we’ve developed, the community we’ve nurtured and the products we have created are some of the best in the area,” Currie-Olson said.
“We look forward to this next stage of WoodGrain Brewing Co. and can’t wait to see how the brewery grows under Steve’s direction.”
WoodGrain will celebrate its ninth anniversary this week, culminating with events Saturday.
