‘Big hit’: Sheepdog Brew Co. expansion drive suffers setback via theft

After a thief took off with its cash and coffee, a Manitoba business has put its spring plans on ice.

Shawn Black drove Sheepdog Brew Co.’s van to Saskatoon last weekend for a market. He’d brought the regular materials: cans of the company’s Nitro Cold Brew drinks, point-of-sale machines and a cash box.

Most was taken Sunday night, he said. He estimates the company lost up to $10,000 in money, goods and equipment.

It comes as Sheepdog Brew Co. plans a national expansion.

“Every penny kind of matters right now, so this was a big hit,” Black said. “It really hinders our ability to fill orders.”

Sheepdog signed with a distribution company to sell its products across Canada this year. With the recent theft, the company needs to step away from spring markets — and markets’ vendor fees — to focus on grocery store sales, Black said.

He believes he left one of the van’s doors slightly ajar Sunday night before going for dinner, allowing for access inside.

Sheepdog Brew Co. is a member of Food & Beverage Manitoba. As the company tries to break into new markets, it’s managing increased risk and investment of time and equipment, said Michael Mikulak, Food & Beverage Manitoba’s executive director.

“Food and bev is a small-margin business, even at the best of times,” Mikulak said. “Small setbacks like this can be substantial.”

Shoplifting, vandalism and breaking and entering are top issues for Manitoba firms surveyed by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

“That’s really challenging for small businesses,” said SeoRhin Yoo, a senior policy analyst with the CFIB.

Vehicle-related thefts have been prevalent in the construction sector, she noted, adding it’s seemingly on the decline.

Black said he doesn’t want Sheepdog’s break-in to be a “pity party.” The company is hosting a pop-up sale in Saskatoon on Saturday and in Oak Bluff, at its headquarters, on Sunday.

Black has been trekking to Saskatoon monthly over the past eight months. The company stocks its drinks in roughly 50 of the city’s stores.

It’s inked deals with Save-On-Foods, Red River Co-op and Sobeys, and with chains not seen in Manitoba, including Dad’s Organic Market in Saskatchewan and Thrifty Foods on Vancouver Island.

Sheepdog Brew Co. has doubled its footprint — to space in 400 stores — over the past year, Black said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com