High Falls Brewing Selects TrenStar’s Keg Management Solution

DENVER, CO – November 15, 2005 —  TrenStar, Inc. today announced that High Falls Brewing Company, the 8th largest brewer of beer in the United States, has selected its MicroStar Keg Management LLC unit to provide keg management services in the U.S.  MicroStar Keg Management is the fourth largest keg owner in the U.S behind Anheuser-Busch, SABMiller and Molson Coors.

Beginning in November 2005, MicroStar will make kegs available to High Falls on a “per-fill” fee basis under a 5-year keg management agreement.

The Rochester, NY based High Falls Brewing Company LLC distributes its products to most of the United States as well as parts of Canada and a handful of overseas markets.  Its brands include JW Dundee’s Honey Brown Lager, Genesse Cream Alse, Genny Light, Michael Shea’s Irish Amber, and Koch’s Golden Anniversary Beer Co., with as much as half of its output bearing other labels. 

“MicroStar Keg Management is pleased to support the launch of High Falls Brewing Company’s products into our 1/6 barrels,” said David Webster, TrenStar’s North American Operations Director.  “Now, our kegs will take High Falls’ quality beers to markets outside of the Northeastern United States.  We’re proud to help this iconic brewery expand its distribution and the reach of JW Dundee’s specialty products with our keg management solution.” 

MicroStar owns more than 380,000 kegs for distribution in the United States. The fleet includes half-barrels and 5.16-gallon or “sixth barrel” kegs, the industry’s fastest growing container for draft beer sales.

TrenStar group companies own and manage a proprietary fleet that includes an additional 4.2 million kegs in Europe. The keg fleets were launched in 2002 when mobile asset management operations began for two of the largest brewers in the region, Scottish Courage Breweries and Carlsberg-Tetley Brewing Company Limited. TrenStar’s outsourcing operation in Europe offers a supply chain solution for brewers, that combines advanced RFID technology and keg management expertise. Asset pooling which is a key feature of the operation will result in lower capital requirements, reduced operating costs and higher service levels for participants. The United Kingdom’s ratio of draft to packaged beer is 60 percent draft as compared to 10 percent in the United States