White River Brewing changes ownership

White River Brewing Co. has changed hands after two years on the market, but the identity of the new ownership has yet to be revealed.

The buyer was undisclosed in a news release from the Springfield-Branson office of VR Business Sales, which brokered the deal. Dave Hosfield and Carol Leandro, the children of White River Brewing founder John “Buz” Hosfield, put the business up for sale in 2019 after he died earlier that year.

Bret McGowne, certified business intermediary with VR Business Sales, said the same buyer also purchased the 505 W. Commercial St. property that houses the brewery. Professional Real Estate LLC, VR’s sister company, brokered the property sale.

In announcing the sale on its Facebook page, the Hosfield family said the business sold "to one of our loyal customers."

"He has the same passion for beer and we know he will continue the quality and tradition of this amazing brand of beer for years to come," the post reads.

The Greene County recorder's office does not yet show a deed of trust related to the sale, and the Greene County assessor's office continues to list the owner as 505 West C Street LLC. The LLC was registered by John Hosfield in 2007 with the Missouri secretary of state.

White River Brewing originally was listed for $204,000, with the previous owners asking $745,000 for the 9,313-square-foot brick building on Commercial Street, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The release did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

Dave Hosfield and Carol Leandro, who live out of state, came into ownership after John Hosfield died in March 2019. When the brewery was listed, a business review from VR Business Sales indicated White River Brewing had $338,627 in 2018 revenue.

When it opened in 2012, only Springfield Brewing Co. and 2011 startup Mother’s Brewing Co. were operating in the market, according to past reporting. Ten craft breweries now operate within Springfield city limits.