NAICS 311213 Quarterly Industry Report
Malt Manufacturing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311213Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311213 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing malt manufacturing businesses. Data is sourced from USDA NASS[5] barley production and quality reports, U.S. Additional data is drawn from [Bureau of Labor Statistics[6].. Census Bureau](https://www.census.gov/) manufacturing statistics, and SBA size standards[7] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for malt manufacturing enterprises.
Industry Definition & Overview
Malt Manufacturing (NAICS 311213) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing malt from barley, wheat, rye, and other grains through the controlled germination and kilning process. Additionally, malt serves as the primary fermentable ingredient for the brewing and distilling industries, providing sugars, enzymes, flavor compounds, and color to beer, whiskey, and other fermented beverages. The U.S. Census Bureau[4] classifies malt manufacturing as a distinct grain processing activity, separate from flour milling (NAICS 311211), brewing (NAICS 312120), and distilled spirits production (NAICS 312140). The U.S. malting industry is concentrated among a small number of large maltsters supplying major domestic breweries, supplemented by a growing segment of craft maltsters serving the craft brewing and distilling sectors. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service[5] tracks barley production and malting barley quality data across primary growing regions in Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming, and the Pacific Northwest. Malt demand is driven by beer production volume, with craft beer growth creating new market opportunities for specialty malt varieties including pale, caramel, roasted, and smoked malts. Business valuations for malt manufacturing operations center on steeping, germination, and kiln capacity measured in tons per batch, barley procurement relationships with growers and grain dealers, customer contracts with breweries and distillers, and the ability to produce specialty malt varieties commanding premium pricing. Appraisers evaluate malt extract yield, grain-to-malt conversion efficiency, quality consistency metrics, and the geographic positioning of facilities relative to both barley supply regions and brewery customer concentrations.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for malt manufacturing operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across base malt, specialty malt, wheat malt, and distilling malt product segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311213
- Comparable transaction data from recent maltster acquisitions, malting facility sales, and craft maltster investment transactions
- Market analysis covering beer production trends, craft brewing growth, distilling demand, and specialty malt category expansion
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for maltsters, quality control technicians, grain procurement managers, and plant operators
- Industry risk assessment including barley crop quality variability, brewer customer concentration, craft beer market maturation, and energy costs
- Regulatory compliance overview covering food safety requirements, grain handling standards, and barley variety quality specifications
- Capital expenditure profiles for steeping tanks, germination floors, kilns, roasting drums, grain cleaning equipment, and storage silos
- Production metrics including tons per batch, malt extract yield, grain conversion rates, kiln use, and cost per ton benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 3112 |
| NAICS Industry | Flour Milling and Malt Manufacturing | 31121 |
| National Industry | Malt Manufacturing | 311213 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 312120 | Breweries | Brewery operations that purchase base and specialty malts from manufacturers as the primary fermentable ingredient for beer production and flavoring |
| 312140 | Distilleries | Distilled spirits manufacturing operations purchasing malt and malted grains for whiskey, bourbon, and other grain-based spirit production processes |
| 311211 | Flour Milling | Flour milling operations that share grain procurement infrastructure, storage facilities, and grain quality testing capabilities with malt manufacturing plants |
| 424510 | Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers | Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers supplying malting barley, wheat, and other grains to malt manufacturing facilities from growing regions |
| 311230 | Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing | Breakfast cereal manufacturing operations purchasing malt extract and malted grain products as flavoring and processing ingredients for cereal production |
| 424810 | Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers | Beer and ale merchant wholesalers distributing products made with malt, connecting malt manufacturers to end-market demand through brewing industry supply chains |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 33.3% | 7 |
| 2 | Minnesota | 19.1% | 4 |
| 3 | California | 19.1% | 4 |
| 4 | Montana | 14.3% | 3 |
| 5 | Idaho | 14.3% | 3 |
% Of Establishments
0%
33%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for malt manufacturing?
Malt Manufacturing is classified under NAICS code 311213, covering establishments manufacturing malt from barley and other grains per the U.S. Census Bureau[4] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for malt manufacturing?
The SBA[8] sets the size standard for NAICS 311213 at 750 employees, qualifying eligible malt manufacturers for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are malt manufacturing businesses valued?
Valuations focus on steeping and kilning capacity, barley procurement relationships, brewery customer contracts, specialty malt capabilities, and extract yield performance per USDA NASS[5] barley production data.
What products do maltsters produce?
Products include pale base malt, pilsner malt, specialty caramel and crystal malts, roasted malts, wheat malt, rye malt, malt extract, and distilling malt per industry specifications for brewing and distilling applications.
Where is malting barley grown in the United States?
Primary growing regions include Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest per USDA NASS[5] barley acreage and production reporting, with quality requirements favoring these cooler climate zones.
How has craft brewing affected malt manufacturing?
Craft brewery growth has increased demand for specialty malt varieties and created market opportunities for small craft maltsters producing locally-sourced, artisan malt products at premium price points for regional brewing markets.
What risks affect malt manufacturing operations?
Major risks include malting barley quality variability from weather events, brewery customer concentration, craft beer market maturation slowing demand growth, energy costs for kilning operations, and import competition from overseas maltsters.
What is the malting process?
Malting involves steeping barley in water to initiate germination, allowing controlled sprouting to develop enzymes and modify starches, then kilning to stop growth and develop flavor and color characteristics per industry malting specifications.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [5]USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service nass.usda.gov
- [6]U.S. Additional data is drawn from [Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [7]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [8]SBA sba.gov
- [9]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [10]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [11]504 loans sba.gov
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