The Boulevard Brewing Co. story began in 1988 with the founder, John McDonald who started construction of the brewing company in a turn-of-the-century building located in Kansas Citys historic Southwest Boulevard. Their mission was simple: Produce fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients, while blending old and new brewing techniques.

During the next several years, Boulevard became increasingly popular across the country. As a result, expansion efforts in 2006 and 2014 increased the brewing companys production from 6,000 barrels per year to more than 600,000 barrels per annum. In addition, the brewing company added a new 70,000-sq.-ft. facility housing a 150-barrel brew-house, packaging lines, administrative offices and hospitality rooms. In conjunction with the 2014 expansion, also known as the Cellar Five, there was a concerted effort to expand Boulevards products into overseas markets. As such, the Duvel Moortgat Brewery, a Flemish family brewery founded in 1871, became an attractive business partner for Boulevard Brewery. "One of the things that attracted me to Duvel Moortgat was the world scope that they have," McDonald said. "We're starting to see some of that now. We're looking at shipping beer to different parts of Europe and America, and we need to make more beer. This project allows all those possibilities to become real."

Since the founding of Boulevard Brewery Co., the brewery tours have become so popular that thousands of tourists have been turned away each year. However, in 2015, Boulevard purchased the adjacent Skelly Oil Co. building that was constructed in 1929 with the intent of turning the structure into a visitors center. During the next several months, reshaping the historic facility with repurposed wood from an old brewery building and a six-generation Missouri farm, began to set the tone for the center.

One of the requirements for the facility was to showcase old-school charm with the longevity of more modern technology. As such, the structural supports and wheat railings were specd for hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) and Natina, which provides durability and offers a sense of historical ambiance. In addition, the center displays a 1957 white-and-aqua Shasta trailer that serves as a photo booth. According to Amber Ayres, director of tours and recreation, Its an opportunity to show who we are in a live setting. We didnt want to lose the great vibes of our old tasting room. We wanted to have a cool space

Having such a cool space that has used HDG and is visited by thousands of people each year is a great way to show HDG, how it is used and as an opportunity to educate people on it many of whom would have never heard of it unless they were directly affiliated with the industry.

Standard Sheet Metal, Kansas City Structural, & A1 Powder Coating, along with the galvanizer, all played a role in this project.