Veteran-owned, military-themed brewery opens in Kannapolis

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Old Armor Beer Co. is carving out its niche in the heart of Kannapolis.

Military veterans Kyle Lingafelt, Stefan Perrine and Dick Bradley — two Marines and an Army paratrooper — are behind the venture.

The trio met while earning their master’s degrees in business administration at the University of Southern California, after completing deployments in Afghanistan.

“You immediately have that camaraderie — that trust right off the bat,” Lingafelt says.

Their home-brewing efforts soon turned to talk of establishing a brewery. Lingafelt, a native of Cabarrus County, felt it made sense to come home to North Carolina.

This browser does not support the video element.

“A beer company which supports veterans is a fitting business for our revitalized downtown,” says Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant. “We look forward to their continued success and what it means for our downtown.”

Read more about the venture and check out photos here.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: