Dark Horse Brewing Company to Merge With a Royal Oak Roak Brewing Company | Eater Detroit

"Opened its taproom and production facility in Royal Oak in 2015, this brewery is among the state’s largest by volume and has been pursuing strategic partnerships to strengthen its position in a highly competitive craft-beer market. Its CEO frames recent acquisition activity as a way to pool resources, increase profitability, and reinvest in the business while maintaining independence from large public brewers. After a previously announced deal with another Michigan brewery fell through, the company is moving forward with a pending acquisition of a Marshall-based brewer and plans to combine and expand the sales team, keep existing labels and customer programs (such as mug clubs) intact, and feature cross-availability and collaborative releases in each other’s taprooms. Management says the merger will likely enable taproom expansion and leaves the door open to future deals; the company’s leadership expresses optimism about working with the acquired brewery’s longtime owner and expects operational improvements without workforce reductions." - Brenna Houck