Deal in works for Latrobe Brewing

Latrobe Brewing Co. may soon have a new owner, as InBev USA said Wednesday it has signed an exclusive letter of intent with City Brewing Co. of La Crosse, Wisc., to purchase the brewery.

InBev and City Brewing Co. will now begin negotiations in an effort to reach agreement on a final deal, according to a statement issued by InBev Wednesday.

InBev said no timeframe has been set for completion of the talks, which will remain confidential between both parties. InBev said no information would be forthcoming until the talks are concluded.

City Brewing brews its La Crosse and La Crosse Light beers. The company also has a significant contract brewing business, which means it brews beer for other brewing companies.

Last month, InBev USA, a division of Belgian brewing giant InBev N.A., announced the sale of the Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light brands to Anheuser-Busch Cos. for $82 million. Anheuser-Busch said it plans to brew Rolling Rock beer at production facilities in Newark, N.J.

The sale did not include the production facilities, which are scheduled to close July 31 if no buyer is found. That would leave about 200 workers jobless.

Two weeks ago InBev said a letter of intent was being negotiated with an undisclosed potential buyer.

InBev said members of the International Union of Electronics Workers/Communications Workers of America, which represents about 154 workers at Latrobe Brewing, will be included in the talks. Union officials could not be reached for comment.

InBev also said local, state, and federal government leaders will also be consulted. State officials could not be reached for comment.