International sales on the rise

Wherever you drink beer, you’re likely to find White Labs yeast.

The company has reported a sharp increase in international sales. The increase may be due in part to the growing interest abroad in craft brewing, said Mike Greenblatt, White Labs general manager.

White Labs has worked hard to make international transactions easy and efficient. Greenblatt has researched international regulations to minimize and in some cases eliminate delays at the borders.

"We put a lot of effort into preparing the proper paperwork for each country," he said.

For instance, when researching Australian regulations, Greenblatt found that the business number should be included with each order. Now there are no holdups at the border and clients receive the yeast overnight, as easy and fast as if they were located in the next city.

"Doing things right makes sure the yeast gets there in a timely manner," Greenblatt said.

The results seem to be showing. In one recent week, the company made new inroads into several nations including Turkey, Costa Rica and Brazil.

The company has clients in every inhabited continent. In Africa, clients include many in South Africa. Asian clients hail from China, Japan, Hong Kong, and other countries

In Europe, the company has a growing list of clients among new as well as established breweries. Client nations include Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., Spain and Belgium. There’s also France, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

White Labs yeast goes to most South American and Central American countries including Chile, Venezuela and Argentina. Mexico and the Bahamas are also big customers.

Regardless of the reasons for the increase in international sales, the trend is a welcome one, officials report.