FORT COLLINS — New Belgium Brewing is now 100 percent employee-owned, the company said Tuesday.

Employees at the brewery purchased the remainder of the founder's shares through the company's Employee Stock Ownership Program.

The company has been partially employee-owned since 2000, with the controlling interest held by co-founder Kim Jordan and her family.

The remaining stock was purchased in a deal that was finalized on Dec. 28.

Jordan plans to remain CEO of Fort Collins' largest brewery for the long-term and the current executive team is also expected to remain on-board for the forseeable future.

New Belgium is in the planning stages for a second brewery in Asheville, N.C., which is expected to begin beer production in 2015.

More than 150 hires are planned at the Asheville brewery upon full build-out.