ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- New Belgium Brewing is building its East Coast brewery in western North Carolina, potentially creating more than 150 jobs.
Gov. Beverly Perdue's office announced Thursday that the nation's third-largest craft brewer plans to invest $175 million over seven years in Buncombe County.
The Fort Collins, Colo.-based maker of Fat Tire Ale would become the second craft brewer in 2012 to choose the Asheville area for a brewery. California-based Sierra Nevada announced in January that it would build a brewery in nearby Mills River.
Lawmakers in North Carolina last year changed laws to allow larger beer-makers such as Sierra Nevada, to sell their product on site.
New Belgium CEO and co-founder Kim Jordan said Asheville had everything the company was looking for in a location for its second brewery.
