LAKEWOOD – A recent alliance between Southern Tier Brewing Company and one of Pennsylvania’s leading craft breweries will help the locally owned beer-maker to remain independent in the face of an ever-changing industry.

Southern Tier announced this week that it has joined forces with the Victory Brewing Company, of Downington, Pa., under parent company Artisanal Brewing Ventures in order to pool their collective resources while retaining their independence.

The new strategic framework between Artisanal Brewing Ventures, Victory and Southern Tier provides capital, security and a vision for the future. Artisanal, formed to unify independent craft brewers and distillers, embraces the collaborative craft spirit while administering crucial growth resources.

“This is exactly the kind of alliance we imagined when we created Artisanal Brewing Ventures in 2014,” said Phin DeMink, founder of Southern Tier Brewing Company and also a major shareholder in Artisanal. “This is a concept that was specifically designed by and for craft brewers, so we can focus on the things we’re best at while creating meaningful scale advantages. I’m proud to see this model validated.”

Southern Tier, established by DeMink and his wife, Sara, in 2002, was ranked 35th in the country based on beer sales volume in 2014, according to Brewers Association. Victory was founded in 1996 and was ranked 29th on that same list.

Under the umbrella of Artisanal, Victory and Southern Tier will independently operate their breweries, commanding a joint capacity of over 800,000 barrels of potential annual production. This alliance creates one of the largest brewers in the Northeast, and ranks within the top 15 craft brewing companies in the United States according to Brewers Association criteria with a combined 2015 shipments of more than 250,000 barrels.

“The craft beer community is at its most critical moment since its inception as larger brewing corporations have bought into our grassroots movement, irrevocably changing the marketplace,” said Bill Covaleski, founder and brewmaster of Victory. “Like-minded brewers such as Victory and Southern Tier can preserve our character, culture and products by banding together. Allied, we can continue to innovate and best serve the audience who fueled our growth through their loyal thirst.”

John Coleman, chief executive officer of Artisanal, praised Southern Tier and Victory for their foresight and innovation in banding together for the benefit of a stronger future together.

“This is the ultimate craft beer collaboration. It is an honor to be associated with these pioneering entrepreneurs who have been contributing to the industry since craft’s early days,” Coleman said. “I look forward to guiding these two truly great organizations forward as they collaborate, innovate and share best practices.”

With a world-class roster of complementary beer brands, and an even stronger standing in the marketplace, Artisanal said it will shepherd Victory and Southern Tier in collaborative sales and marketing efforts to strengthen, support and expand its distributor and retail partnerships.