Michigan-based Iron Fish Distillery has completed a planned ownership transition, with co-founders David Wallace and Heidi Bolger acquiring onwership interests from fellow co-founders Richard and Sarah Anderson. The transaction, which makes Wallace and Bolger the sole owners of the farm-based distillery, was finalized effective December 31, 2025.
Richard and Sarah Anderson commented on the sale.
“Creating Iron Fish has been a privilege and one of the most meaningful chapters of our lives,” said the Andersons. “We are deeply proud of what the team has built—of the brand, the culture, the connection to agriculture, and the community that has grown around this place.”
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READ THE STORYThey added: “We believe Iron Fish is well positioned for its next chapter and for continued success under David and Heidi’s leadership.”
In a joint statement, Wallace and Bolger acknowledged the contributions of the departing founders.
“Iron Fish exists today because of the shared vision, dedication, and collaboration of all four founders,” they said. “We are grateful for everything Richard and Sarah have contributed and look forward to building on that foundation as the company moves ahead.”
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Sarah Anderson assisted with an operational handoff at the end of 2025. Richard Anderson will remain with the company briefly in early 2026 to support the transition of key wholesale and industry relationships.
The company confirmed that its year-over-year growth in production and distribution will continue without interruption.
Operations, including its longstanding distribution partnership with Imperial Beverage in Michigan, remain central to the company’s vision.
Founded in 2016, Iron Fish Distillery operates as Michigan’s first farm distillery, growing and harvesting grain on its 120-acre property in Springdale Township. The facility attracts more than 150,000 visitors annually.
The distillery produces a range of estate-distilled spirits, with every step from milling to aging conducted onsite. Its current library of aged spirits now exceeds 2,500 barrels. The four co-founders worked collaboratively over the past decade to establish the brand’s soil-to-spirit identity and build its wholesale and direct-to-consumer footprint across Michigan and into several other states.
