In honor of the start of the 2012 Major League Baseball season, The Sheet may as well give some kudos to Inyo County Administrator Kevin Carunchio.

For he appears to have all but stolen home from his northern neighbors.

Carunchio is apparently close to a deal with Mammoth Brewing Company that would site the Brewery’s new, expanded production facilities in Inyo County.

The planned $3 million facility would increase the company’s brewing capacity 30-fold, from 5,000 barrels a year to 150,000 barrels.

Mammoth Brewing Company owners Joyce and Sean Turner said this week that they’ve been looking for property upon which to site a production facility for the past three years.

They need five acres.

Sean Turner said he and Brewery Founder Sam Walker made a joint appearance on the radio a few years ago and cited the future need for a production facility because Mammoth Brewing needed more capacity.

Carunchio called the next day.

Joyce Turner places the odds at 85% that a deal will be consummated.

While the Turners love Mammoth (they own a home here and their son attends Mammoth schools) and intend to have a presence here (the plan is to open a brewpub featuring specialty beers crafted on-site), there are several advantages to a main Bishop facility:

1.) Brewmaster Jason Senior prefers Bishop’s water.

2.) If Mammoth Brewing ultimately plans a major push into the Southern California market, Bishop is that much closer and transportation costs would be that much less.

3.) Costs of production are less at a lower altitude because it takes less energy to boil water.

4.) Access to a larger labor pool.

It’s the labor component, and the loss of potential jobs, which is the biggest blow to Mammoth. To the Town’s credit, it has made a late stab within the past month to find a local alternative, but it may be too little, too late.

Mammoth’s Community Development Director Mark Wardlaw said this week that while the Town is in the “study phase” regarding Mammoth Brewing, Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht has made it a priority. “We have a different Town Manager with a broader understanding of economic development and its impact on the community,” said Wardlaw.

One town-owned site they’re exploring is the Community Center site on Forest Trail.

Mammoth Brewing has tripled its sales volume over the past five years. The vision is to build a regional brewery with distribution in seven western states.

Sean Turner has been in the craft brewing industry for 18 years. The industry has experienced double-digit sales growth each year for the past six years.