Briess Industries, Inc.

What Briess Industries, Inc. does

Briess Industries, Inc., operating as Briess Malt & Ingredients Company, is a fifth-generation family-owned specialty malting and natural ingredients producer founded in 1876 and headquartered in Chilton, Wisconsin. The company operates the only vertically integrated malting operation in North America, controlling its supply chain from seed plant operations in Powell, Wyoming, through elevators in Ralston, Wyoming, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to multiple processing facilities producing specialty malts, malt extracts, malted flours, malted milk powder, pregelatinized grains, and gluten-free tapioca and sorghum sweeteners. Briess produces more than a dozen standard kilned specialty malts under proprietary brands including Carapils, Victory, Bonlander, Ashburne, CBW, and Maltoferm, alongside newer offerings like BriesSweet syrups and BriesSpecialty malt flours, serving food manufacturers, beverage producers, pet food manufacturers, craft breweries, and artisan distillers across all 50 US states and more than 25 countries.

The company's core technology leverages multiple natural processing capabilities — malting, roasting, sprouting, extraction and starch conversion, pregelatinizing, and blending — executed across a Chilton campus (housing the original 1901 malthouse, 2001 liquid processing plant, and Insta Grains facilities), a 22-acre Manitowoc site (largest malthouse, 244-foot elevator, 50-car rail spot, and Lake Michigan port), plus Waterloo, Ralston, and Powell facilities. Briess generates revenue primarily through direct sales of specialty ingredients (one-time purchase model) and custom processing/blending services (professional services model) to enterprise and mid-market manufacturers, with technical sales specialists supporting formulation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers contact Briess directly via phone, website forms, or sales representatives. Distribution is direct from a central Chilton distribution center via bags, totes, drums, bulk truck, and railcar, supported by a sales team including a VP of Sales & Marketing, Director of Sales for Food Ingredients, National Account Manager, and regional Division Managers.

The business has been progressively expanded through acquisitions of upstream and processing assets (2013 Bighorn Basin elevator, 2014 Manitowoc grain operation) and capacity expansions (2015 Manitowoc malthouse doubling capacity, 2016 Insta Grains II plant, 2022 Great Lakes maritime tower reactivation), with certifications including USDA Organic (since 1990), SQF, FSMA, Kosher, GRAS, and AAFCO compliance. All packaged product ships from Chilton, and the company emphasizes clean-label, non-GMO, organic, kosher, and gluten-free ingredient claims across its portfolio.

Name

Briess Industries, Inc.

Legal name

Briess Industries, Inc.

Website

https://briess.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Briess is a fifth-generation family-owned specialty malting company producing natural malt extracts, specialty malts, malted flours, and gluten-free sweeteners for food, beverage, and pet food manufacturers across all 50 US states and 25+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Malt Ingredients

NAICS

Malt Manufacturing (311213), Flour Milling and Malt Manufacturing (31121)

SIC

Grain Mill Products (2040)

akta.pro primary industry

Maltose & Malt Syrups (Maltose Syrup, Malt Extract) (AFAJAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Brown Rice Syrup & Grain-Based Syrups (Rice, Barley, Sorghum Syrups) (AFAJAAAG)

Keywords

• Specialty malt ingredients
• Malt extracts production
• Malted flours manufacturing
• Brewing specialty malts
• Natural food ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Chilton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Specialty Ingredients Sales: Briess generates revenue through the sale of natural specialty ingredients including malt extracts, malted flours, malted milk powder, pregelatinized grains (Insta Grains®), tapioca syrups and maltodextrins, white grain sorghum extracts, and sprouted/roasted grains to food, beverage, and pet food manufacturers.
2. Custom Processing and Blending Services: Briess offers custom ingredient development, toll processing, and blending services where customers can supply their own ingredients or formulate with Briess natural specialty ingredients. Services include dry-with-dry or dry-with-wet blending for oil or vitamin fortification.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Briess is the only vertically integrated malting company in North America, producing specialty malt-based ingredients (malt extracts under Maltoferm and CBW brands, malted flours under BriesSpecialty, malted milk powder, pregelatinized and sprouted grains under Insta Grains) and gluten-free sweeteners (BriesSweet tapioca syrups, maltodextrins, and white sorghum extracts) from company-owned barley grown by a 300+ grower network. Products are sold to food, beverage, pet food, craft brewing, and artisan distilling manufacturers, complemented by custom ingredient development, toll processing, and blending services.

Product overview

Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. is a vertically integrated producer of natural specialty ingredients for the food, beverage, pet food, and brewing industries. The company's product portfolio centers on malt-based ingredients (malted flours, malt extracts, malted milk powder) produced from company-owned barley, complemented by gluten-free tapioca sweeteners (BriesSweet™ syrups, maltodextrins, solids) and specialty grain ingredients (Insta Grains® pregelatinized and sprouted grains). Briess operates the only vertically integrated malting company in North America, producing malt extract from its own barley. All products emphasize clean labels with natural, non-GMO, kosher, and organic options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maltoferm: Food grade malt extract brand originally introduced by Rudolf Briess in 1894 for bakeries, revived in the 1980s as pure malt extract for baked goods and foods. Registered trademark since 1981.
• CBW
• Insta Grains
• BriesSweet
• BriesSpecialty
• Carapils
• Ashburne
• Bonlander
• Victory

Products and services

• BriesSpecialty Malted Flours Whole grain malted barley and wheat flours that naturally adjust color and flavor in food applications, available in diastatic and nondiastatic varieties, dark roast flours, and sweet caramel flours. Targeted at food manufacturers such as bakers, snack food producers, cereal/granola makers, confectionery manufacturers, and prepared foods producers seeking clean-label color and flavor solutions.
• BriesSweet Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin and Solids Certified organic tapioca maltodextrin and solids providing neutral flavor, bulk agent functionality, and clean label alternatives to corn-based sweeteners for food and beverage manufacturers.
• BriesSweet Tapioca Syrups and White Grain Sorghum Extracts Gluten-free syrups derived from tapioca starch and white grain sorghum, offering label-friendly alternatives to honey, corn syrup, and sugar with varying DE levels for food, beverage, and confectionery manufacturers.
• Maltoferm and CBW Malt Extracts Pure malt extracts (Maltoferm food grade and CBW brewers grade) produced from company-owned barley and malt, offering sweetness, flavor, color, and yeast food functionality to food, beverage, craft brewing, and artisan distilling manufacturers.
• Briess Malted Milk Powder Pure malted milk powder made from Briess malted barley, wheat flour, milk, and natural ingredients, delivering rich malty flavor and creamy mouthfeel for confectionery and beverage manufacturers.
• Insta Grains Pre-Cooked and Sprouted Grains Reduced cook time pregelatinized grains and sprouted grains that eliminate soaking and precooking requirements while maintaining natural, whole grain integrity, used by food and pet food manufacturers for healthier, better-for-you products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 75% through consolidated rail movement versus over-the-road freight
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• New Hope CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1998, Briess has provided employment training and opportunities for clients of this non-profit organization in Chilton that provides services for residents with cognitive or other disabilities. Briess contracts with the workshop for small packaging needs and provides onsite supported employment opportunities.
• Wisconsin Historical Society (Old World Wisconsin)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFive-year sponsorship of Old World Wisconsin museum where re-enactors conduct brewing demonstrations using 1800s techniques. Sponsorship makes possible ongoing demonstrations to thousands of annual visitors.
• Manitowoc Public UtilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Manitowoc public utility provides efficiently produced energy for the entire Manitowoc campus.
• Local Dairy (Bio-digester Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with a local dairy diverts high-strength liquid waste from the wastewater treatment plant to a bio-digester where it helps generate a continuous 1.5 megawatts of electricity.
• Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery ProjectminorOthersSince acquiring the Manitowoc elevator in 2014, Briess has continued support for the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project. More than 65 Peregrine Falcons have been produced at the site since the nest was installed in 1992. Nest care provided by founder Greg Septon.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MGP Ingredients: U.S. ingredient company producing specialty grain-based ingredients and spirits, including distillers' grains and food-grade starches. Comparable to Briess in U.S.-based grain processing for food and beverage customers and specialty ingredient positioning.
• Viking Malt: European maltster with malthouses in multiple countries producing malt for brewing and food applications. Comparable to Briess in specialty malt portfolio and food-ingredient diversification beyond brewing.
• Crisp Malting Group: UK-based specialty maltster producing a wide range of malts for craft brewers and distillers. Comparable to Briess in specialty malt breadth and craft-brewing customer focus.
• Simpsons Malt: UK-based, fifth-generation family-owned maltster producing malt for brewing and distilling with international reach. Highly comparable to Briess in family ownership heritage, specialty positioning, and export-oriented distribution.
• Rahr Malting: U.S.-based, family-owned maltster producing base and specialty malts for brewers and distillers. Closest U.S. direct comparable to Briess in scale, customer mix, and specialty malt positioning.
• Weyermann Specialty Malts: German family-owned specialty maltster with a globally recognized portfolio of caramel, Munich, and roasted malts serving craft brewers and food customers. Highly comparable to Briess in its specialty-malt focus, proprietary product branding, and craft-brewing customer base.
• Great Western Malting: U.S. maltster operating multiple malthouses, owned by Cargill. Directly competes with Briess in base and specialty malts for North American brewers, though backed by a much larger parent balance sheet.
• Canada Malting Company: Canadian maltster with multiple malthouses supplying brewers across North America. Comparable to Briess in product mix, geography of operation, and craft-brewery customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global agribusiness and food ingredient conglomerate that owns Great Western Malting and competes with Briess across grain origination, malt, and food ingredient supply. Not a direct specialty malt peer but an overlapping incumbent across the broader malt and food-ingredient value chain.
• Malteurop (Vivescia Industries): One of the world's largest malt producers with malthouses across Europe, North America, and Australia. Overlaps with Briess in North American malting but operates as a much larger, broad-line incumbent rather than a specialty-focused player.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BrewingWithBriess
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/briess
• Instagraminstagram.com/brewingwithbriess

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Briess Industries, Inc.