ST. LOUIS (AP) - A St. Louis-based company is planning to build five breweries over the next five years for craft beer production.

Brew Hub LLC said Tuesday that its first brewery is planned in Lakeland, Fla. The company is also evaluating locations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Texas and the West Coast.

Brew Hub was founded last year by former Anheuser-Busch executives and is supported by financing from The Yucaipa Cos. of Los Angeles.

CEO Tim Schoen says in a statement that Brew Hub will allow craft brewers to expand into new markets they otherwise couldn’t reach.

The Brewers Association says craft beer volume rose by 15 percent in the U.S. last year.

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