USA: Renaissance Partners to find a buyer for Latrobe Brewery

Investment banker Renaissance Partners hopes to give Gov. Ed Rendell recommendations for finding a buyer for Latrobe Brewing's plant by early next month, the head of the firm said June 05, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted June 06.

President Leo A. Keevican Jr. said he expects Renaissance to begin work this week after signing confidentiality agreements.

The firm will analyze the brewery's financial statements, costs and the condition of the plant as well as assess its work force, potential marketing plans and what investments are needed.

More than 200 jobs at the plant will be eliminated when Anheuser-Busch moves production of Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light beers to its Newark, N.J., brewery at the end of July. The St. Louis brewer is purchasing the brands for $82 million from InBev, the Belgian company that owns Latrobe.

"It's going to be a challenge," Mr. Keevican said. "You have [beer making] overcapacity in the United States. You have to start with that. It's why Anheuser-Busch can take the whole Rolling Rock brand and put it into their plant in New Jersey."

Mr. Keevican said it's possible that a brewer with an outdated plant could be interested in purchasing the Latrobe facility, which industry officials say was well maintained by InBev. He also said the plant's equipment could be modified to produce other beverages.

State incentives may be available if a viable buyer can be found, the governor's spokeswoman Kate Phillips said June 05.

Meanwhile, efforts to reverse Anheuser-Busch's decision continue. More than 17,000 have signed an online petition at www.petitiononline.com/save33/ urging the brewery to keep production in Latrobe.

Previously this week, Gov. Ed Rendell said the state will offer incentives to potential buyers of the soon-to-close Latrobe Brewery. Rendell wouldn't provide details on the possible incentives.

He met in Pittsburgh with several labor leaders, comparing notes and letting everyone with a stake in the longtime source of Rolling Rock beer and its roughly 250 jobs know that action is being taken.

“The state's plan to save Latrobe Brewery is three-pronged,” the governor said. "I've been in touch with the InBev people in Belgium last week, and they told us they had some interested investors in the facility, and I told them that the state was willing to offer incentives to a buyer. They (InBev) are supposed to get back to me this week."

The state's second line of attack is to have discussions with other investor groups who would want the Latrobe facility to start production of a new beer.

"But as you know, starting up a new beer is extremely difficult to do," Rendell said.

The third course is to contact "growth brewers," small companies who might be ready to expand. The Latrobe facility is designed to brew 1.2 million barrels annually.

"I'm going to have the DCED (state Department of Community and Economic Development) reach out to these growth companies, and I will be doing some cold calling to them," Rendell said.

Last week, Rendell's office said the Downtown investment banking firm Renaissance Partners LLC will study the Latrobe beermaking facility. Also, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, said he was trying to broker a deal for bankrupt Pittsburgh Brewing Co. to acquire Latrobe Brewing.

Rendell and union leaders met for an hour yesterday in a guest room at the Sheraton Station Square "to get ourselves organized, so that the union and the state are working together on this," the governor said.

Dave Kelly, president of Local 144-B of the International Union of Electricians-Communications Workers of America, said before the meeting that the union is grateful for the governor's involvement.

"Everything is in its virgin state at this point," said Kelly, one of those who met with Rendell.

The union, along with Local 22, represents more than half of the 250 people who work at the company that has brewed Rolling Rock for more than seven decades.

Rendell's point man in Western Pennsylvania, former state Sen. Allen Kukovich, said the governor has been interested in what is happening at the brewery since rumors surfaced months ago that InBev was looking to sell.

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