Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) will close two of its breweries and sell another, Brewbound reported today. ABI is selling its Newark, New Jersey location to property developer Goodman Group and will end operations at its Merrimack, New Hampshire and Fairfield, California facilities next year.
The shutterings will lower the beverage conglomerate’s brewery count to nine. ABI cited updates to production at other facilities as the reason for the consolidation.
“Over the last five years we have taken steps to update and modernize our U.S. manufacturing operations, investing nearly $2 billion in our 100 facilities across the country,” ABI explains in a statement to Brewbound.
The three closures will affect 475 full-time employees, and ABI claims they will offer affected workers roles at other facilities. The closest brewery still in operation to the Newark and Merrimack locations is Baldwinsville, New York — over 200 miles from each. The nearest brewery to the Fairfield location is in Los Angeles, roughly 400 miles away. Impacted employees will receive relocation stipends, and those who choose to not move will receive a severance package. ABI said the move will not significantly affect its wholesaler network.
Another reason for the closures is to streamline its operations and focus on its widening portfolio. “We will be shifting production from these three facilities to our other U.S. facilities and these changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands,” ABI says.
ABI is the leading beer manufacturer in the world, according to the BarthHaas 2024/2025 industry report and is slated for growth. Last week, ABI confirmed its acquisition of BeatBox, expanding the company’s Beyond Beer portfolio. These shut downs come on the heels of recent closings from other far-reaching breweries — last December, Molson Coors shuttered one of its longest-standing locations.
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