SBA 7(a) Brewery, Winery and Distillery Feasibility Study in South Carolina

Far above the class median

Beverage producers in South Carolina borrow a lot. A $620,000 median is 2.48x the nationwide level for the class, the figure that sets this page apart, and the central band runs $310,000 to $865,500. The 31 approvals on file are worth $28.7 million. Ranked by loan count, South Carolina is 28 among states; the class is 16 of 39 in its home state. Franchise brands play no part, at 0.00%. A median this high suggests production equipment and buildings, not just working capital.

Greenville first

Greenville County has 14 loans, Charleston 5 and Spartanburg 3, and Pickens 2, with single loans in Anderson, Berkeley, Greenwood, Horry, Lexington and Richland. The upstate dominates. Countybank is the only lender listed, with 5 loans and $5.1 million, a figure showing that its loans are large. As with every holder entry, that records who holds the loans in SBA's data and not how the bank lends. FY2021 had 9 loans and $7.8 million, FY2023 had 6 loans and $8.9 million, and recent years have been quiet, with 1 loan each in FY2024 and FY2025 and 3 in FY2026.

Coding and withheld rates

The industry code names the maker of beer, wine or spirits. The code reveals no taproom or tasting room, and wineries joined the class through a definitional choice. Cancellation and loss percentages are not shown, as too few loans stand behind them; neither is zero.

What a South Carolina producer file has to show

A producer file should explain where product sells: wholesale accounts, retail distribution, a tasting room or shipments where law allows, with state licensing requirements for each route. It should cost the production building, tanks or stills, and the time between spending on ingredients and receiving cash. With loans typically far above the national norm, the file must justify the scale, comparing planned capacity with realistic sales in the first years. A slower ramp should be shown, with the payment still covered. A lender will also ask what the building would be worth to a buyer outside the trade, as brewery and distillery property is specialised. With loans this large relative to the class, a lender will look for equity from the owner, a clear licence position and a record of earlier sales, and the study should assemble those facts.