Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Company sold to Belgian firm

Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Company is joining forces with Belgian-based Duvel Moortgat, the companies announced in a news release.

KMBC-TV reports the deal, which was signed this week, is expected to close before the end of the year. Both companies are privately held and terms will not be disclosed.

Boulevard’s base of operations will remain in Kansas City.

Boulevard began in 1989 and has grown to become among the Midwest’s top craft brewers. According to its website, Boulevard said it’s “proud to be Kansas City’s Beer and Missouri’s largest independent brewery.”

Founder John McDonald, 60, will be a key player in the combined companies’ European operations. He said he’s been working on a deal like this for the past few years.

“I wanted to find a way to take the business to the next level while retaining its essence, its people, its personality — all the characteristics that make our beer and our brewery so important to Kansas City and the Midwest,” said McDonald. “Duvel Moortgat’s commitment to quality and independence, and their proven record helping breweries fulfill their potential, made this a perfect fit and an easy decision.”