Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have grown their business empire, becoming co-owners of a brewery that sponsors their soccer club, Wrexham.
The Hollywood stars announced on Wednesday they have acquired a stake in Wrexham Lager on the same day the club welcomed fresh investment from the United States.
Reynolds and McElhenney, who have owned the Welsh club since 2020 and steered it to back-to-back promotions. The journey has been chronicled in the “Welcome To Wrexham” documentary series, making the club a global attraction with an international fanbase.
The actors have doubled down on their commitment to the North Wales town by investing in its brewery, with plans to export the beer to North America. They revealed their investment in a YouTube video in which they are “Literally speechless,” communicating only through telegraph keys.
As co-chairmen of Wrexham AFC we have learned a lot, McElhenney and Reynolds said in a statement. The connection between club and community, the intricacies of the offsides rule and the occasional need for beer especially after finance meetings. Wrexham Lager has a 140-year-old recipe and a storied history and were excited to help write its next chapter.
Wrexham Lager’s CEO, James Wright, said the actors’ investment will enable the business to go global. He said: This is a brand with great heritage the oldest lager brewery in Great Britain, once enjoyed across the world.
“So, to have Rob and Ryan onboard as we embark on international expansion is huge for us. They have been doing wonders for the town of Wrexham and strongly share our passion for once again seeing Wrexham Lager enjoyed in all the far-flung corners of the globe.
Earlier on Wednesday, Reynolds and McElhenney announced they had agreed an investment deal with the Allyn family, which made its fortune in medical manufacturing before selling the Welch Allyn business for $2 billion in 2015.
The actors and the new investors have formed Red Dragon Ventures LLC to “help fuel the clubs lofty ambitions, as well as those of the broader Wrexham community”. The investment in Wrexham Lager is Red Dragon Ventures’ first project project.
“Wrexham has earned the world s attention and we are focused on bringing on board world-class partners to help with the next phase of our growth,” Reynolds and McElhenney said. “We have been fortunate to get to know the Allyn family and we are blown away by their intelligence, kindness and commitment. They are exactly the type of partners we will need for this amazing endeavor.
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