The Middleby Corporation has acquired professional craft brewing and beverage equipment maker Ss Brewtech.

Middleby CEO Tim FitzGerald said: “Ss Brewtech provides a best-in-class craft brewing platform, enhancing our current beverage portfolio. Craft brewing, including on-site brewing in bars and restaurants, is growing in popularity and Ss Brewtech is well-positioned to benefit from this trend.

“The company has developed exclusive technology and a standardised platform allowing operators to install and operate equipment with minimal setup and training while delivering superior beverage control and quality.”

Established in 2013, Ss Brewtech provides professional-grade brewing equipment to the small-scale craft brewing industry. It has $20m in annual revenues.

Based in Santa Ana, California, Ss Brewtech will operate as an autonomous business unit within Middleby.

FitzGerald added: “Ss Brewtech is a recognised and respected brand offering a differentiated value proposition for operators. We believe there are significant opportunities to leverage existing Middleby customer relationships and global distribution channels for future growth opportunities.”

In May 2018, Middleby agreed to acquire Taylor Company from UTC Climate, Controls & Security for $1bn. Taylor Company offers beverage solutions, soft-serve ice cream dispensing equipment, frozen drink machines and automated double‐sided grills.

In April last year, Middleby acquired JoeTap, a subsidiary of AC Beverage that manufactures on-demand nitro and cold-brew coffee, as well as dispensing equipment for the commercial foodservice industry.

Middleby is a US-based manufacturer of commercial cooking and industrial processing equipment.