The craft of beer

How do you get from supervising the construction of industrial sewing machines to owning a micro-brewery and tap room in the space of one career?

Simple, says Lance Lamb, a Huntley businessman. You think globally, travel extensively, and really like a high-quality beer.

Lamb and long-time business co-workers and partners Terry Hitpas and Tom Bartel have recently received village approval for their plan to convert part of the old Union Special building on Route 47 near downtown Huntley into a micro-brewery and tap room featuring craft beer. It will be constructed by the end of this year in 2,700 square feet of vacant space once occupied by Borden Dairy.

But first, a little history.

Union Special was originally established in 1881 and has been operating in Huntley since 1949. Lamb, Hitpas, and Bartel joined the firm in the 1980s and eventually became managers. They became partners when they acquired Union Special from foreign investors in 2008. The company’s website says it is one of the oldest, largest, and one of the last industrial sewing machine manufacturers in the country. In recent years, Union Special has rented some of its space to small businesses in the Huntley area. It is currently home to about 20 commercial firms and recreational and athletic clubs.

“We got the opportunity to acquire the company from Juke, a Japanese-owned firm, that owned it since 1988,” said Lamb, who is a lifelong Huntley resident. “Working at Union Special started us thinking globally and creatively, and we have traveled extensively. We went to Germany one time, and saw first-hand how popular craft beer manufacturing and consumption were. That got us started thinking how we could establish such a business here. We want to offer top quality beer in a community that doesn’t have a craft beer business.”

“Huntley has been expanding industrially and commercially for some time, and it needs a micro-brewery,” he said. “We have a business plan, and the space, but we have a lot of work to do. The brewery business will be called Sew Hop’d Brewery, a nod to the building’s history and the nature of the new business.

“Huntley has a lively mix of age groups, ranging from Sun City to growing young families, and I believe they will be attracted to this kind of business. There already are similar establishments in the area, including Crystal Lake Brewing and Scorched Earth in Algonquin.”

The brewery will host tastings and distribute craft beer to local restaurants. The taproom will seat about 80 people inside and 40 more in an outdoor patio. Pre-packaged food items such as breadsticks and cheese will be offered, and patrons will be allowed to bring in food.

The new venture has received a zoning change to permit a micro-bewery/winery as a special use in a manufacturing district. It still needs a new liquor license classification.

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